Make Him Mine
by kmart92
Summary: Can Andy finally see what everyone else has known since the beginning? Based on Gail's wise words in S2E9 and twisted from there. McSwarek has always been inevitable.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I had a dream that I was on the set of Rookie Blue – obviously it's not mine.**_

_**I am completely shocked that no one else has picked up on this tiny, but vitally important line in S2E9. This will be a not-sure-how-long story based off Gail's little comment and twisted from there. Hopefully you all enjoy it. Please please please REVIEW! **_

.

.

.

"Stop trying to be all Swarek about everything," Gail flicked through the next screen of photos, barely able to contain rolling her eyes as Dov shot off a quick text back to Sue. Seriously, what was wrong with him? Sue, though completely out of his league, for some reason was interested and yet Dov continued to play it cool. Did he think he was going to get a better offer? Unlikely. So what that she didn't particularly like Sue? A tiny flicker of jealousy and intimidation flared up behind her cool blue eyes, before Gail clamped down on it quickly. She was a Peck – absolutely no reason to feel even slightly threatened by a girl who disarms bombs for fun. And besides, there already was _one_ person walking around the station waiting for his dream girl to give him a second glance, definitely no need for another pathetic soul. "Might as well just tell her how you feel about her."

A quiet gasp behind them made Dov whirl in his chair, kicking Gail's shin in the process.

"Ow! What the hell was that…" She trailed off as she followed Dov's gaze, and stared into the confused and startled eyes of the one person who really deserved a swift slap to the back of her head. "… for… um, hi. Ah, thought you were gone already."

Andy stood frozen to the spot, not knowing whether to breathe, while her mind was frantically trying to dismiss the idea that Sam might have a girlfriend and hadn't told her. Maybe that's where he'd disappeared to the other morning after their little impromptu boxing session. Her heart dropped as she considered the possibility that he'd moved on. She wasn't blind, she knew they were more than partners, but up till now, Andy had just neglected the fact that he had needs too, and wouldn't always be there for her; her rock, the most amazing, stable person in her life. She'd used him, and now he finally had enough and was walking away. She'd picked wrong again, and let the one person who she needed the most, to slip through her fingers. Andy barely noticed herself speaking, "What?" A few seconds later, her brain kicked in again and she hated the way her broken, quivering, pitiful voice slipped out.

Andy vaguely heard Dov mutter, "Oh crap," and saw Gail rubbing her shoe against some imaginary scuff mark on the floor, smoothing out her uniform as she quietly cleared her throat.

"What're you doing back here? I thought you were out at the stables all day?" Gail vainly tried to steer the conversation away to a safer topic.

"The instructors got called out." Andy's voice was low and monotone, but she hardly stopped to take a breath before switching back to an almost frantic ramble, not even caring that they heard her sounding panicked and upset. "What'd you mean before about Sam? He has a girlfriend? Since when? He never told me."

Gail reached out to clasp her shoulders, stilling her chatter. "Andy!" It came out harsher than intended, so she sighed, taking a step back and deliberately dropped her volume. "Don't be an idiot, ok? There hasn't been anyone else in his life since you busted him, and I really doubt there ever will be."

"But…?"

"You should see the way he looks at you, Andy," Dov broke in, sending her a small smile that looked more like a grimace. "It's downright depressing sometimes."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Andy looked away, gnawing on her bottom lip as she tried to quiet her racing heart. _Thank God! She still had more time_.

"Come off it Andy!" Several other officers glanced in their direction, raising their eyebrows in interest, chuckling amongst themselves as Peck clutched McNally's arm and dragged her off to a quieter corner, Epstein in tow.

Lowering her voice once again, Gail turned on her, pushing her roughly against a wall. "Bullshit!" she hissed, "Everyone says you're blind, but I think you're fully aware that Sam Swarek is in love with you, but you're either too stubborn, or too scared to actually admit that you're in love with him too!"

Andy winced at her words, closing her eyes against the onslaught of emotions, trying to shut herself down again, ignoring the voice in her head telling her the blonde was absolutely right. "Gail…" her voice was tired and pleading for an end to the conversation, "Sam and I… we're friends…"

"I don't get it. Why won't you give him a chance? Look, I know you've just had that whole 'Callaghan/Rosati' saga, but the guy has been pining for you for _2 years_, Andy. Stop being so deliberately dense, and just _go for it_! Any girl would kill to have a guy like Sam Swarek so completely devoted as he is to you. You should see his face every time you find yourself in trouble. It's like a mixture between wanting to throttle you for scaring him half to death and wanting to kiss you until he's sure you're really alright." Gail smirked at her with a little chuckle, "It's kind of adorable…," then she shrugged, forcing herself to roll her eyes, like this was beneath her. "… in a slightly pathetic way, that is."

"He's my partner! He's just being protective of me." Andy tried to yank her arm out of Gail's hand, but only really succeeded in loosening her grip. Even as the words came out, they sounded fake, in denial to her ears.

"You _know_ that's not true. Surely even _you_ must have seen the way his eyes light up when he's around you!"

Dov pulled her away from Andy, trying to make it look like a normal conversation to any outsiders. "Andy, I love you like a sister, you know that. But I have to tell you, we all knew Luke was never gonna last." He nodded to a fellow officer passing by, before turning his attention back to his wide-eyed friend. "It's true. He was never good enough for you, Andy, we _all_ thought so. And I know you know what we're saying, cos the amount of times I've seen _you_ staring at Swarek…" Dov leaned forward, murmuring, "Sometimes you just have to take the plunge, you know?"

"I just need more time," Andy whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose in a gesture she'd seen Sam doing so many times before, and had apparently rubbed off on her. For once, she was conceding their point, realising the futility of arguing. "What if…"

"Man-boy's right." Gail interrupted, watching as the Bambi-eyes flickered to her face. "Ever since the engagement announcement, Swarek's been despondent, your imminent departure into married life hanging over him like a black cloud. It's worse than it was before, cos even when you were engaged, about to be married to someone else, _Callaghan_ of all people, he _still_ couldn't walk away. As horrible as it is to say this, but ever since you broke up, he's been… _happy_, I guess. Like he still has some hope left."

Gail took a deep breath, taking a few moments to study Andy's expression, knowing she was at last listening to them. "I'm not saying to jump straight into bed with him," Dov coughed uncomfortably beside her, "but just talk to him, ok? Let him know that when you're ready, you want to give it a try. He deserves at least that much."

Andy nodded, staring down at the ground, taking measured breaths, acknowledging in her heart that they were right. She couldn't let the fear of losing him, overshadow what could possibly be her only means of happiness.

"Swarek's a good guy." Dov folded his arms, nodding at her, effectively giving her his blessing.

"I know," she mumbled, her voice soft and thick, "He's the best one."

Just then, Gail caught sight of movement out of the corner of her eye and subtly cleared her throat, looking at Dov and tilting her head sideways and raising an eyebrow. Looking over his shoulder, he immediately pulled out his phone, pretending to fiddle with it as they both simultaneously moved a little further away.

She saw the exact moment when Sam noticed Andy standing there. His face, which had previously arranged itself into a scowl, weary, frustrated eyes not focusing on anything in particular as he stomped down the hallway, quickly transformed into a bright grin with almost child-like giddiness. Gail only just managed to contain a shake of her head at the corniness of it all.

"McNally!" At the sound of his voice, Andy's head shot up, her eyes huge in slight shock. A second later, a shy smile emerged as she watched him move closer, nervously tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hi," she murmured back as he came to stop just in front of her. He nodded his greeting to Gail and Epstein before turning his dark eyes on her again. He _did_ look happier. She wasn't stupid; Andy knew her engagement, as disastrous as it was, had taken its toll on him. But at least now he seemed to be returning to himself again, well, at least what he was like BC – Before Callaghan.

"Given up on the Mounty dream already?" Sam smirked, bringing out his dimples as she rolled her eyes.

"Phhf! It was never _my_ dream. Not enough action for me." Andy shrugged, pushing herself off the wall and stepped forward to brush a bit of dust off his shoulder. Her hand froze as soon as she realised the intimacy of her actions, and immediately dropped her eyes, shoving her hands in her pockets and coughed, completely missing Sam's wide-eyed stare. Eventually, she regained her composure enough to try to continue the conversation, hoping to smooth over the uncomfortableness. "Nah, the instructors got a call out, so we're off for the rest of the day. Paperwork for me, I guess." Andy grimaced as she thought of the pile sitting on her desk. She could only avoid it so long.

"Ah," Sam nodded, "And here I was thinking I'd be stuck having to train myself up a new rookie." He leaned in closer as he flirted, wishing he didn't have actual work to do, so he could stay by her side.

Andy mimicked his movements, grinning up at him, "You couldn't live without me!" she laughed, unaware of what she'd just said until his voice turned a soft, husky tone.

"Yeah…" he breathed, catching her eye, "you're right." He saw the tiny darkening of her eyes before they both looked away, and Sam started rocking back and forwards on his heels. Not wanting to push her or freak her out, and desperately needing to change the seriousness of his words, Sam quickly continued. "I mean, who else could do my paperwork, or make my coffee as good as you!" Sam winked at her as she turned back, shooting a faux-glare in his direction.

She vaguely saw Dov hang is head and Gail muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, 'Oh jeez', but she ignored both of them. "Shouldn't you be doing work, Swarek?"

Sam huffed, "Yes ma'am," he bit out sarcastically, frowning before something else entered his mind. "Hey, are you, uh… you coming to the Penny tonight?" He hoped she didn't notice his eagerness or unbridled hope. "Need a ride?"

"Nope," she noticed his face fall in disappointment before he adopted a blank expression, but his shoulders still remained slightly slumped. "I'm spending the evening with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir and the Real Estate section. Gotta get out of Traci's hair eventually, though I think secretly she'll miss my childcare skills."

"Right, yeah." Sam nodded a little, biting the inside of his cheek. "D'ya need an extra pair of eyes for the apartment hunting? I could give you a hand if you like. I might even spring for some Chinese if you're lucky." _God he sounded desperate, even to his ears_. _And yet he couldn't seem to stop himself._

"Thanks, but um… it just feels like something I have to do on my own, you know?"

She caught a tiny sigh, before he looked down at his feet, rubbing at the back of his neck for a moment. Then his voice, low and gloomy, floated up to her. "Yeah, no, of course. I… I totally understand." Sam threw her a small smile, the corners of his lips tugging upwards for only half a second before they fell again, as if being weighed down by his dejection. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." As he turned away, Sam murmured over his shoulder a parting, "Have a nice night McNally," and disappeared around the corner.

Her eyes followed him, even after he vanished from sight, and she felt a stabbing pain in her heart, knowing she'd rejected him again. Andy faintly remembered her friends standing nearby, almost feeling their annoyance and disapproval smothering her. "I know what you're going to say, ok? So, please… just… before you say anything, could you just… not?" She glanced across at them, pleading with her eyes not to pursue this, to just let her wallow in her own knowledge of her failures and trust that she'd fix it eventually.

Staring her down, seeing the remorse in her eyes, Gail blew out a deep breath, "K," and walked back towards her desk, pulling Dov away by the sleeve.

Left alone once again, Andy drifted aimlessly into the locker room, finally collapsing on the bench and scrubbed her hands over her face, trying to sort through the myriad of thoughts and emotions coursing through her. _She'd been hurt, but truthfully, it was more the shame of not seeing it before that made her angry. Surely she should be more upset if she really truly loved him, shouldn't she? And Sam… it was inevitable; she knew that. She couldn't believe she'd been so ignorant._ Gail's words trickled through her mind, 'just go for it!' and Dov's seal of approval. _Sam was the _right_ one, the _only_ one. She couldn't let him go again._

Andy had no idea what she was going to do or how she was going to do it, but as she made her way to the stack of papers awaiting her, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

...

Waiting semi-patiently as Gail finished her shower and emerged, Andy propped herself up against the next locker, wringing her hands in nervous excitement.

Gail simply raised an eyebrow, giving her the once-over before opening her locker and flinging her clothes in her bag. "You want something Andy? Or are you just hovering to annoy me?"

Andy opened and closed her mouth several times before she committed. "I… I need your, um… help." Hating the smug expression that flitted across the blonde's face, she rolled her eyes and continued. "Tell me what to do."

"About?" Gail wave her hand in the air, trying to draw it out of her, though she already had a fair idea.

She looked dramatically around the room to see if anyone else was in hearing distance. "You know," Andy hissed, flinging her hands up in frustration when Gail just gave her a puzzled look. "Sam." When Gail grinned in triumph, Andy wanted nothing more than to slap her silly, but just managed to restrain herself.

Gail allowed herself a moment of self-congratulation before she turned serious again. "You sure, Andy? Cos if you do this…"

"I know." Her eyes were sad and begging. "I need him, Gail. I need to make him mine."

.

.

.

_**Phew! It's hard to start writing again when you've been away for a while. Hope this wasn't too corny or pathetic. I'll rely on you all to tell me your thoughts as always, so please REVIEW! Btw, I have no idea where I'm going with this, so if you could give me any ideas, I'd really appreciate them. Hopefully, I'll be able to update soon. Thanks for reading so far!**_

_**Oh, and Rookie Blue's been renewed for Season 4! Yippeeeeee! I actually started squealing when I read that! Now I can finally breathe again!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: Yeah, I get the picture – I don't own it, I know. Shut up already.**_

_**Kinda helps if you have a plan of where you want the story to go when you actually post the 1st chapter, but as it happens apparently quite frequently with me, I tend to make it up as I go along, so hopefully you'll like it enough to bear with me. This is what I came up with so we'll see how it goes. Sorry that some of you thought my Sam was a bit weak, but to be fair, it's fiction and my other versions of Sam have been a lot worse in the past. Anyway, I really hope you like it. Please review!**_

"Frosty's right you know, loathed though I am to admit it." Traci emerged from the showers, arms crossed in front of her, eyebrows raised and lips pursed. As Andy threw her hands up in frustration, she rolled her eyes, "I'm gonna choose to overlook the fact that you chose _Gail_ over me for help…"

"Trace, come on! It's not like that! _She_ was the one that got me into this mess in the first place." Andy waved a hand in the blonde's direction with a scowl.

"And how exactly do you figure that, huh?" Gail slammed her locker shut just a bit harder than necessary and turned to face them, "You're the one leading Swarek along with no end in sight, and because I feel the need to put the poor guy outta his misery, you think _I'm_ to blame?"

"Alright chill!" Traci literally stepped in between them and shot Andy a withering glare, resulting in her slumping onto the bench and wrapping her hands over her face. "As I was saying, Sam's been there for you through everything, especially recently, and he knows you've gone through hell, so you've gotta be absolutely sure you want to do this. He'll wait, you know, he's _been_ waiting, so it's ok if you're not ready yet. He'll understand."

"That's the thing, Traci," Andy sighed, twiddling a bit of hair between her fingers. "I'm ready. I've thought about this even longer than I should have and I'm more sure about Sam than I have been ever about anything. So much so that it scares me. I can't screw this up." She turned her big brown eyes on both of them, pleading her case. "I don't know what I'd do without him. Call me selfish, but I _need_ him. I can't lose him."

Silence engulfed the room for a few moments, except for the night shift moving in and out. When the last of the stragglers disappeared, Traci and Gail exchanged a few glances, before Traci nodded and moved to straddle the bench beside Andy. "Then you have to prove to him you're ready. No more moping, no anger. Make your peace and get back to the old Andy. It's the only way forward."

She nodded, already taking deep breaths as if to filter out the problems in her life. "What else?"

Gail pushed off the metal and came to stand in front of them. "You're staying with Traci, right?" She didn't even wait for an answer before turning slightly to the left, "What's in your kitchen?"

….

.

.

"I thought you said you've done this before." She winced as another puff of flour smothered her friend's face. "Cos you know, we could've had this whole ordeal over and done with an hour ago if you'd followed the recipe like we told you to."

"Look Gail, if you're so fricking good at this, maybe _you_ could've considered helping me instead of sitting there downing shots and mocking me every 5 minutes." Andy yelled, vainly wiping the flour out of her eyes before grabbing an egg and haphazardly cracking it into the bowl, shoulders slumping in disgust and groaning a second later as she stared at the mess in front of her.

Traci picked up a nearby spoon and fished a large chunk of egg shell out of the mixture, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You can do this, Andy, ok? And if not, it's not a big deal. You can always run down to the store and pick up a pre-packaged one. No one will ever tell the difference."

Gail snorted, but catching Traci's warning glower, held up a hand in apology.

Andy sighed, brushing the remnants absently on her pants. "No, I know. I have to conquer this. It's kinda like my dad's AA meetings, you know, with all the steps. Step 1, admitting the problem. Step 2, asking for help…. Only difference is, my step 3 is baking. "

"Baking is the antidote for everything."

Traci shook her head with a smirk and snatched the bottle away before Gail could grasp it. "I think the tequila's gone to your head."

…

.

.

.

"What spurred this on?" Sam mumbled through a mouthful of cake, even as he shoved more in like if he didn't wolf it down, the rest of the cake would magically disappear. He gulped, reaching out for his coffee, "Not that I'm not loving that you thought to treat your awesome partner, but since when did you turn into Nigella Lawson?"

Andy rolled her eyes, brushing a few stray crumbs off his chin and blushed, quickly averting her eyes as Sam smiled, bringing out his dimples. "It's really not that difficult you know."

"Please. Says the woman who practically lives off microwaveable meals and whose idea of a home-cooked dinner is spaghetti bolognaise from a can. "

She huffed, jutting her bottom lip out in a pout and turning to face the window. "Well the next time I decide to go on a baking spree, I won't _force_ you to eat any of it." The next thing she felt was Sam's hand squeeze her kneecap gently.

"Hey…" Sam nudged at her elbow, lowering his voice a little to sooth her. "How many times in the past 5 minutes have I mentioned how fantastic this cake is?"

Andy's quiet voice murmured, "Once or twice," but she still steadfastly refused to look at him, hugging her arms across her chest.

Sam smirked at that, knowing the number had far more likely been closer to 6 or 7 times, but he was willing to let it slide, considering he'd just insulted her. "McNally…" he waited until she finally couldn't resist looking at him. "It's amazing, just like you."

Andy bit her lip, glancing down away from his eyes, until Sam lifted her chin up again. He raised an eyebrow and dipped his head to look at her, waiting for Andy's reluctant nod before he pulled away.

"Seriously, though. First, willingly shouting me a coffee, then unleashing _this_ masterpiece," he gestured in the direction of the half-eaten cake, and then a second later, helping himself to another piece, "I must say McNally, you've set the bar now. No idea how you're gonna top this."

"Be grateful you're not having to share this with Oliver, cos I'm sure I saw him sniffing around my bag before parade. I swear, that man has an in-built food detector."

"It's what noses are generally for McNally." Sam made a loud slurping noise on the Styrofoam, as if to sip every last drop. "But anyway, stop side-tracking. Why the sudden desire to bake?"

"Oh… well…" _Thank God for Gail's ingenuity and preparation. _"Um, Traci was talking about Leo's birthday the other day and she was saying how she wouldn't have enough time to make him a proper birthday cake cos she's pulling an extra shift the night before, so she was just gonna pick one up from the shops. And, well, I kinda volunteered to make one instead. But, uh… I may have mentioned something about using already made cake-mix and she gave me this look – you know, the one you usually give me when I've said something stupid…" her hands were flailing about all over the place as she rambled.

"I do not give you a look!"

"You _so_ do! Never mind. And so I thought it might be best to do a practice run before the big event. Work out all the kinks." Andy stopped her rant when she saw the look on his face, something like an open-mouthed smirk and she knew exactly where his mind was headed. She flung a hand up in his face to halt him before he could speak. "Don't! Just… don't even go there. Forget I said the last part."

"Because I'm in a good mood, I'll save that little gem for later, but don't think I've forgotten about it."

Andy groaned, shaking her head in disgust.

"And because I'm such a nice guy, I won't take offence at the fact that you've used me as a guinea pig for your culinary training." Her arm flung across the car to whack him on the shoulder, and Sam rubbed at the spot with a faux-grimace.

Andy sighed, looking up at him through her eyelashes with a small, tentative smile. "And besides, can't a girl do something nice for her partner every once in a while to say thanks for everything he's done for her? All the times he's been there for her? To show that he means a lot to her?"

The look in her eyes made his heart stutter and his breath catch in his throat. Sam had a sudden impulse to gather her in his arms and smother her in kisses, and then make all sorts of wild confessions that would probably send her into a panic. Struggling to swallow the lump constricting his breathing, he coughed slightly, and tried to stop himself from beaming at the praise. "You're welcome, Andy."

A shy silence sat between them, before Sam finally closed the lid and handed the leftover skerricks of the cake back to Andy with a grin that she never saw. Starting the car up again, they pulled away from the park and perused the streets.

Not more than 4 blocks away, Andy tapped her hand against his upper thigh, causing him to almost jump in shock.

"Sam! Pull over there!"

"What the hell, McNally! You trying to give me a heart attack?" But perhaps out of instinct, he stopped anyway, shooting a worried glance at his partner.

"Sa-am!" She whined, turning her Bambi eyes onto him that made him relent almost immediately. "I'm _dyyy-ing_ for an ice-cream."

"What? You just had cake." Sam managed to put the car back in drive, before he felt her small hand wrap around his arm and tug.

"But _Sam_…" He intercepted before she could pout at him again, rolling his eyes and motioned her to go. The ecstatic smile on her face made it all worth it, as he watched her bound over to the shop with kidish delight.

Sam sighed in contentment and let his eyes drift shut for a moment, savouring a replay in his mind of the sweet timbre of her voice telling him everything he'd ever wanted to hear from her. A minute later, the door whipped open and she plopped beside him heavily, barely able to quell the giggle of anticipation before she dove into the ice-cream.

"Strawberry?" Sam raised his eyebrows in puzzlement. "You're usually a chocolate girl."

"Not always." Andy turned to see his gaze observing everything.

"I can count on no hands how many times I've seen you choose anything else." He couldn't hide the confusion or marginal apprehension about the meaning of this new side of Andy.

She knew he didn't understand, but couldn't find the words to explain properly. In the end, she just shrugged, "Today feels like a strawberry day."

…

.

.

.

The three co-conspirators huddled around the locker, arguing over eye-shadow and mascara. Eventually Traci prevailed, wielding the liquid eye-liner and using it to punctuate her point.

"If she goes with the blue, it'll be waaaay too over-the-top. She's going to The Penny, not walking down the red-carpet."

"Yeah, but she has to make him notice her. The blue eye-shadow is perfect." Gail made a last vain attempt to grab at the bag of make-up before Andy snatched it away.

"_She's_ right here you know!" Andy handed the bag to Traci and reached for her dress, pulling it up against her body and trying to envision the finished product. "You sure I should be doing this? I mean, Sam's never seen me in anything other than jeans and a top." Traci put one hand on her forehead to hold Andy still, as she applied liberal amounts of eyeliner and mascara, nodding at the result.

"Exactly! If now's the time to make your move, you've gotta pull out the big guns." Gail held up a strand of Andy's hair and let it flop back down. "I'm thinking slightly curly."

Andy turned to Traci with a sceptical expression, but Traci tilted her head to the side and scrunched up her face. "I'm gonna go with Gail on this one."

35 minutes later, the Penny door swung open.

…

.

.

.

Though he'd been staring at the door ever since he'd arrived, Sam couldn't have missed her entrance if he'd tried. He barely even noticed the others standing on either side of her, all he could think was… nothing. Sam blinked several times in an attempt to restore normal brain function but the result was the same. If he couldn't feel his heart jack-rabbiting against his ribcage, he could've sworn he'd short circuited.

It was nothing fancy, just a dark blue dress that cinched in around her waist and flowed down, stopping just above her knee. The plunging V-shape neckline was high enough not to be vulgar, but low enough to entice. Coupled with a pair of sequined flats, Andy was the most perfect woman he could possibly imagine. Her hair curled down to shoulders, bouncing a little with every step. Her make-up was darker than usual, but still casual, making her eyes shine even more. _Breathtaking_, Sam felt the word roll around on his tongue, as he kept running his eyes over and over her.

Sam vaguely heard Oliver mutter something beside him, and just nodded in response, not even registering his words as Sam's eyes followed her across the room to the rookie table. A few seconds after she sat down, his thought process kicked in and he swung on his stool to face his friend.

"Huh?"

"Should've known your mind was otherwise occupied. I said, 'Maybe it's time for you to step up, make your move. Or at the very least, put the rest of us out of our misery."

Sam was shaking his head right from the start, but refused to look him in the eye. "She's not ready, Ollie. It's too soon, she needs more time."

Oliver just snorted in return, thumbing around the lip of his beer. "Yeah, and how long are you gonna keep telling yourself that?"

He took a long pull on his own beer, waiting for the cool liquid to slide down his throat. "As long as I need to," Sam turned away again to stare at the back of her head and mentally added, 'to make myself believe it.'

He watched her laugh at some stupid thing Epstein said, and heard her beautiful laugh echo its way over to him. He saw her brilliant smile light up the room as she tossed her head back, shaking her head in mirth and letting her curls float around her face. In that moment he'd give anything to be able to wrap is arm around her waist, pull her outside and beg her to give him a chance. Sam had no control over the myriad of thoughts and emotions running amuck in his mind. He just…_needed_ her. And it was getting more and more difficult to let go of his dreams.

In an attempt to snap out of it, Sam gripped his beer bottle and faced the bar, rubbing at the corners of his eyes as he took yet another deep breath. A few seconds later, the scent of oranges and cinnamon seated itself next to him, but it was only when he felt an elbow knock against his, that he tilted his head to the left and had to school his features from relaying the shock of seeing her appear so suddenly beside him.

Her grin was blinding and it was hard not to give into the tiny tweaking of his lips in response. "How's it going partner?" She stretched her whole body across to reach the little bowl of peanuts, all the while her face was turned towards him.

_Just an inch. One inch and I could kiss that smile away._ Sam clutched his bottle tighter as her scent once again invaded his senses and he tensed up, straining himself not to act rashly. Finally releasing the clench of his jaw, he cleared his throat roughly, nodding, "McNally. You look nice tonight."

Her infectious smile reappeared even brighter than before, if that was even possible, and he found himself automatically taking another swig to hide the glow that spread through him when she smiled like that _for him_.

Andy touched his arm, letting her hand rest there as she babbled, and Sam felt his heart rate speed up at the contact, letting his focus drop to her hand rather than actually listening to her, but he managed to shake himself out of it again in time to catch her last few words.

"So, d'ya think you'll be up for it again tomorrow?"

"Huh?" Thankfully Oliver intervened before she could berate him for not paying attention to her… again.

"And what about me? Surely you need an expert opinion to judge whether the cupcakes will be good enough for Leo, and I'm afraid to say this, but Sammy? Brother, you just don't have the skill." Oliver placed a hand on Sam's shoulder in mock-consolation.

"Sorry Oliver, but my partner gets first privileges always." She threw a wink at him and slowly removed her hand, realising it had been there for much longer that normally appropriate, but not nearly long enough for both of them. "But I'm making a double batch, so I'll be sure to save some for you. I'm thinking maybe chocolate velvet cake with a chocolate peanut butter ganache."

Oliver groaned and pretended to wipe up his drool with a napkin. "Girl after my own heart, McNally. You certainly know how to make a man go weak at the knees." His eyes cut across to Sam as if to make his point, but found his friend just staring at Andy, almost not processing anything else going on around him.

Andy grinned, and following Oliver's glance, found herself drawn in by Sam heated stare. Quickly dropping her eyes again, she gnawed on her bottom lip, swishing around the liquid in her beer bottle. Noticing his was nearly empty, Andy motioned to the bartender who slid another beer over to her.

Finally snapping back to reality, Sam raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "You're not even finished your first beer yet."

Andy smirked and held it out to him, "For you dummy." She dragged her stool in between them but sat with her arm basically pressed up against Sam, revelling in his warmth. Andy instantly started chatting to Oliver, only stopping to smile in recognition at his mumbled 'thanks', and occasionally tapping him on the thigh to garner his acknowledgement of her story to which he just nodded with a faint smile, completely unaware of what he'd just agreed with.

"Did Sam tell about that kid we saw today with the…" And then he zoned out again, content to absorb everything about her now that she wasn't watching.

Oliver could barely hide his grin of satisfaction as Sam drifted in and out of consciousness, hardly able to stop gaping at his partner as she bubbled around him.

Sam's head was swimming with thoughts of her, and feeling suddenly overwhelmed, he couldn't even begin to control the words that harshly and abruptly slipped out of his mouth and interrupted her.

"It's a great camp! Izzie will love it! I went several times when I was a kid and the best part is when…"

"McNally, what're you doing over here?" He didn't even stop when she turned a questioning and confused eye over to him. He saw Oliver's warning glare but continued anyway. All he knew was he was utterly beguiled by her. "I mean, shouldn't you be over at the rookie table instead of badgering us TO's?" He knew as the last words left this mouth that it was a mistake. His brain whirled to try and back track, but her once radiant expression clouded with disappointment and sadness, and it stabbed at his heart that he was the one to cause it. He didn't mean it, he _loved _her company, but her closeness was affecting him and for once he just reacted without thinking it through.

"Oh… um…" Andy's doe eyes stared up at him before focussing on her feet. Her shoulders drooped and she fought to keep her voice light, knowing it wasn't nearly successful. "Sorry Sam. I, uh… I didn't mean to disturb you guys. I…" She clasped her bottle as she got to her feet, still avoiding their eyes. She waved a hand in the direction of the other table as she moved away. "I'll just… have a good night." And she was gone. Her absence leaving him aching.

"Andy... wait, I…" Sam called after her but she never once turned back. "I didn't mean it," he whispered, immediately feeling like the scum of the earth. Letting a deep sigh drag out of his chest, Sam clenched his eyes shut, mentally swearing at himself for ruining everything.

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…" He didn't have to look up to know that Oliver was shaking his head and sending him that disappointed fatherly look.

"Don't, ok? I know I screwed up… just… you don't have to say anything." Sam swung around to face the rookies and felt the glare of Gail and Traci immediately turn on him. Though she was trying to listen to Chris, it was clear Andy's heart was not in it.

…

.

.

.

"So? How'd it go?" Gail shooed the others off so the girls could get the low-down.

"Fine." Andy sighed, sagging into her seat and trying to ignore her friends' worried expressions.

"What happened?" Traci piped up, knowing the familiar look on her face. "What'd he do?"

"Nothing."

"That face," Traci waved a hand at Andy's head, "That face is not nothing."

Andy sighed again, "He didn't want me over there." _God, it sounded worse when she said it. That meant it was actually true._

"What?" Gail screeched, only to have Traci kick at her shin under the table and both looked savagely over at the bar.

"He told me to go away." She ran a hand threw her locks, letting her whole body exhale as the weight of hurt threatened to crush her.

"Sam Swarek did NOT say that!"

"It's ok. Really. I mean, he's had a long day, and he's been putting up with me yabbering at him all day, so obviously he just wants peace and quiet." She took a gulp of her beer and instantly wished it was something much stronger. Her voice dropped so the others could hardly make out her words, "I should never have gone over there."

Before they could even start to protest, Andy held up a weak hand, "After I'm finished, can we go home, Trace?"

Seeing the disheartened, broken look in her friend's eyes, she tried to smile reassuringly, pursing her lips. "Sure honey. Whenever you want."

Gulping down the last few drops, Andy left a wad of notes on the table and stood up. She could feel Sam's eyes watching her exit, but not once did she look in his direction.

…

.

.

.

"I can't believe you!" Gail's angry voice interrupted his silent brooding. "I mean, seriously, what the hell is wrong with you Swarek? A girl buys you a beer, hangs off your every word, little though they may be, and you still feel the need to be a world-class asshole?"

"Peck, it's not like…"

She pushed on as though he hadn't even opened his mouth. "And yet even after you've been a complete jerk to her, she still defends you? Sometimes I don't think you realise how lucky you are."

Oliver cut in, much to Sam's appreciation, considering he was barely processing Peck's words. "Defend him?"

"Yeah! Is that unbelievable or what? She said…" raising her voice to mimic Andy's, "…Sam's had a hard day. He's put up with me _all day_. He's probably tired and just wants some peace." She saw her words cut into Sam as he shuddered, probably in revulsion at his own stupidity and heartlessness. "You know what? I'm done. I've actually got nothing more to say to you. Whatever!" Gail slapped her hand on the bar and stalked off, letting the door slam behind her.

"Sooooo…." Oliver started, tapping a finger against the bar. "What's the plan now?"

Sam didn't answer him, but just whipped out his phone and pressed '3', cursing under his breath when it went straight to voicemail. He didn't care how he sounded anymore, he just had to do _something_ to let her know how angry he was with himself, how sorry he was to ever let her think she meant nothing to him. "Andy… it's uh, me. Look, I need to talk you about, um… about something, so… Yeah, I… can you ring me back when you get this? Ok, um… ok, bye."

"Smooth." Oliver's dry remark twisted him even further.

Sam played with the label on the beer bottle, replaying the image of the beautiful brunette who was sitting next to him not 10 minutes ago. Before he'd screwed up. He placed his phone on the bar, so he wouldn't miss it when she rang back. _If _she rang back.

A minute later, it beeped, but before he could reach for it, Oliver snatched it out of his grasp. "Ollie! Just…. Oliver! Give it to me!"

The low whistle of his friend heightened his panic, and he all but launched himself at it as Oliver held it out to him, her message already opened.

'_Sam, can it wait till tomorrow? I'm really tired and just want to sleep for a century. See you at the station?'_

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, then let his head drop with a heavy 'clunk' on the bar top. Though his face was smushed against the wood, Oliver could just make out a groan.

"What do I do, Ollie? She's avoiding me, she doesn't want to speak to me." Sam's dark eyes pleaded with him for any advice, _anything_ that would make it all ok again.

"Fix it."

"Oh, great, thanks. Real sage you are. Any little gems you'd care to impart to me?" He spat back sarcastically.

"Well _I_ wasn't the one who basically told the girl he's in love with that he didn't want to be around her." Oliver quirked a brow, throwing the onus back at him. And that got the desired response, another groan and Sam muttering words of self-loathing. A few seconds later, he took pity on his friend, clapping him on the shoulder as he stood up and opened his wallet. "On the upside, Sammy, she didn't sound that upset." He watched as Sam's face lit up with hope, searching his eyes for reassurance. "I suggest tomorrow you beg for forgiveness."

Oliver sent a pointed stare at his friend, and receiving the appropriate nod of chastisement, slapped his back as he moved towards the door. Before he stepped into the open air, he looked over his shoulder to the bar, where one lone figure was hunched over, clutching his mobile for dear life and staring off into space.

…

.

.

_**Woohoo! Part 2 – complete! Not how I wanted it to be, but I'm reasonably happy with it, so I really hope you all REVIEW and let me know what you think. Hopefully, considering I actually have an idea for part 3, I might have it up sooner than I usually do. Please review!**_

_**Can't believe the episode on Thurs! Amazing! But I'm hating this hiatus – WHY? Kinda terrible that I've read spoilers – don't ever do that, seriously, it wrecks it for you – but does it make me a bad person to only care about how things affect McSwarek?**_

_**Write to you guys soon!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: Thursdays are the only days when I feel kinda like I own it, but then they pass and I'm left with an empty void.**_

_**No internet is supposed to be conducive to writing instead of reading and re-reading fanfics until you have no original ideas of your own. Alas, even with time, I'm starting to hate my writing more and more. Thanks for sticking with me though – I'm loving the support! Hope you like this chapter – please REVIEW! I'm an addict! Without further ado…**_

...

"I'm fine Trace. Seriously, you have to stop looking at me like I'm at any second gonna break down into puddle." Andy closed the lid on the final container with a 'pop', sighing as she headed over to her coffee mug and took a sip, frowning when she found it empty, and tried to remember when she'd finished it. She stopped mulling it over when she noticed the heavy silence from her friend's spot on the kitchen stool and glanced over to see Traci staring at her with her cereal- ladened spoon poised a few inches from her mouth, milk droplets creating a random pattern on the kitchen table. "I'm not 14 anymore. It's not like this is my first love."

Traci's jaw dropped almost comically and her eyebrows shot in the other direction. She was just about to stutter out a response when Andy cut in, holding up a hand. "Not what I meant. Look, I of all people should know by now that relationships are never easy… and Sam and I aren't even _in_ a relationship yet, so things are bound to start off a little rocky. Besides…" she paused to take a bite of toast, waving her hand around while she finished chewing, and took an extra second to lick a stray blob of jam off her thumb, "I had time to think it over last night, and this morning, and I obviously just overreacted." Andy huffed a little at the thought of how clingy she was being. She swore she'd never be like this over anyone, along with probably a dozens of other 'never's', and yet now she found herself breaking every single one in quick succession.

"Andy… look, I know you've said you're fine, but anyone can see you're still hurt. He made a mistake, ok? Sam's a guy and they tend to say stupid things some times, but I guarantee he's beating himself up about it, feeling guiltier than you could ever make him feel. As pissed as I was on your behalf last night, his face when you left? He knows he screwed up and I think he'll do whatever he can to make it up to you, you just have to forgive him. Sam's a good guy, he's…" Traci's phone beeped, and she pulled it out of her dressing gown, eyes widening when she saw the name on the message and scrambled to open it. "…um, just a sec… I just need to…" she trailed off as she scanned the text, thankful for the fact that Andy had turned away to start cleaning up.

Traci read through it 3 times, racking her brain for an excuse and finally landed on the perfect one. "Andy, dude. Uh, my mum's looking after Leo for the day, and um… would you hate me if I ditched you for Jerry? It's just, he's been busy on the Brady case all week and …"

Before she could even finish, Andy waved her off, definitely not wanting to hear the rest of the details. She involuntarily shuddered as an errant image popped in her head and shook it off as quick as she could. "Go! Don't worry about me. I'm getting a little pudgy, so I think the walk'll do me good anyway." Grinning as Traci shook her head in disbelief, Andy flicked her wrist again, effectively shooing her out of her own house.

"I'm going, I'm going! Just… don't forget the cupcakes! I'll probably need a few by the time I get to parade. You know, to keep my energy levels up." Traci winked before fleeing to her bedroom and slamming the door, hastily grabbing some clothes and her work bag.

"Urgh! Thanks Trace!" Andy called, scowling and poking out her tongue in distaste. "Really needed to hear that!" She heard her friend giggle and rolled her eyes, grabbing a cloth and scrubbed the bench down, not even bothering to turn around as Traci shouted her goodbye and raced out the door, settling only for a nod and slight wave over her shoulder.

Andy squinted at her watch and groaned, walking over to the couch and flopping on her make-shift bed. She hugged her pillow as she switched on the TV, flicking through the channels, pulling a face at each one before she finally hit the power button and flung the remote to the opposite side of the couch. Begrudgingly, she heaved herself up and dragged her feet to the bathroom to get ready.

…

.

.

Andy cringed as she let the front door slam shut, feeling the loud noise echo through her skull. Tucking the bag of goodies under one arm and hiking her backpack over the other shoulder, she turned, with every intention of bounding down the steps. But she stopped short when her eyes took in the familiar grey truck parked in front and the lone figure propped up against the side, gnawing on his bottom lip as he watched her nervously.

Andy felt her mouth silently form his name and she blinked, only once, but that was enough time for him to stride up the steps to stand in front of her.

"H..hi," she stammered, staring down at her feet, trying to avoid the concern written all over his face and the guilt swirling around in his eyes.

"McNally, I…" Sam stopped, gulping, trying to remember any of the words he'd rehearsed in preparation for this meeting but they'd vanished, leaving him dangerously close to messing up again when he's cornered with no way out.

"What're you doing here? I didn't expect to see you until parade?" She took a chance and looked up at him, and the remorseful expression rendered her completely unable to hold a grudge against him and regretted ever thinking he meant to hurt her.

"Andy…" his use of her first name caught her off-guard and her eyes widened in surprise. "I wanted, needed, to talk to you… About last night, I never meant to…"

Andy placed her hand on his shoulder, causing him to abruptly pause his speech as his eyes drifted immediately down to her hand and he fought against closing his eyes to relish her warmth. "Sam, don't worry. I totally get it, I mean, I'm surprised it's taken you _this_ long to get sick of me!" She tried to joke, but it only served to increase Sam's panic, the desperation on his face creasing his forehead as he drew his eyebrows together and shook his head frantically.

"Andy, that's not it. I promise you I'm not sick of you, I don't think I could ever be." Sam froze as the words left his mouth. _She's not ready, she's not ready_. "I… I just… I had a lot of stuff going on in my mind last night, and… I didn't mean for it to come out that way. I, uh… I like your company, a lot. I never meant for you to ever think otherwise." He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, trailing his fingers to cup her cheek, "I'm sorry," he whispered, heart clenching as her Bambi eyes stared at him, huge and startled, but then she leaned into his touch and he felt his whole body sigh in relief.

Andy grinned, nudging his hand with her chin, "Bet that must've taken a lot out of you to admit that." When she saw his confused stare, she clarified, "You know, that you love my company, have no idea what you'd do without me. That kinda thing." She flicked her pony tail to the side, shrugging as if she knew it all along.

Andy bit her lip and looked away, trying to contain her smile when she saw him shaking his head, thinking it was in annoyance. But instead, he waited until she was facing him, looking directly into his eyes so she'd know how serious he was. "No. I came to that realisation a long time ago." Not for the first time she noticed how insecure he was around her, vulnerable, like he anxiously wanted her approval. Her smile softened, and feeling the blush creep up on her cheeks, she nodded, memorising his words. Andy gazed down and suddenly noticed what he was holding, and seemingly he remembered the same thing only a second later, because he held it out to her, motioning for her to take it as his other hand tugged on the strap of her backpack.

She accepted it, bringing it to her nose to sniff, breathing a quiet sigh of contentment as the coffee aroma invaded her senses. "It's your favourite," Sam nodded to the cup as he shifted to her bag onto his own back and took the other bag out of her hands, "I thought maybe…" he left the sentence hanging as he shrugged, not even sure how he planned to finish it.

Andy hummed, taking a sip and closing her eyes for a moment. "It's perfect, thank you Sam." When she opened them again, he was staring at her with such intensity that her heart faltered.

"Sit with me tonight Andy," Sam murmured, his eyes searching hers for any hesitation or remnants of the pain he'd inflicted.

"Sam, I…" She was shaking her head, in partial disbelief and uncertainty, but he persevered, knowing he had to make her believe his sincerity.

"Andy… I would like the honour of your company with me at the Penny tonight." He added a quiet 'please' before he could stop himself and he really hoped he didn't sound too pleading, too weak. But if that's what it took, he'd do anything. She was still hesitating. "I'll buy you a beer," he all but blurted out, and in that moment, realised he'd leapt over the boundaries between sounding normal and begging.

Her sharp burst of laughter brought a self-depreciating smile to his face, but he was glad of anything to bring the lightness back to her eyes. "Sure, why not." Andy giggled, bumping her hip against his. "A girl can't say 'no' to free beer."

Sam snorted, pursing his lips, watching as she hopped down the steps towards his truck, pausing as she reached the passenger side and turned back to face him, tilting her head to the side as she waited for him.

"Sa-am!" Andy chirped, trying to flutter her eyelashes at him. Sam frowned, narrowing his eyes at her, wondering where her mind was headed. "Can I drive your truck? Pleeeeease?!" she beseeched, her voice turning whiny and child-like, like she knew he'd never give in and it was a long-shot anyway.

For a moment, Sam was actually shocked. He stared at her for a few seconds, mouth agape, eyes wide in incredulity, but then she jutted her bottom lip out and pouted, and he felt himself pulling out the keys and dangling them in front of her.

And Andy was just as shocked when he handed them over to her. Traci's words came flooding back: _'he'll do whatever he can to make it up to you'_, and she instantly felt ashamed of taking advantage of his guilt, though at the same time, her heart soared to think she meant enough to him that he'd hand over his precious baby to her. Andy looked down at the keys in her hand, rubbing her thumb over the cool metal, before handing them back. She shook her head at his questioning expression, "But I get to drive the squad car all day – deal?"

She laughed as he let out a huge sigh of relief, quickly grasping his keys back and depositing her belongings into the back seat. "Thank God!" He looked at her sheepishly as Andy rolled her eyes, "Deal McNally."

Andy plopped into the passenger seat and squirmed around to get comfy, before she spied a neatly wrapped bunch of yellow daisies sitting in the cup holder. She turned to Sam with a curious face, but he was steadfastly looking out the front windscreen, though she could see the tense set of his jaw and the way his hands clenched around the steering wheel. "In case your little speech didn't work?" Andy raised a cheeky eyebrow at him, waiting for him to acknowledge her.

"Something like that," Sam admitted, eyes darting over at her quickly before returning to the road.

"How did you know they're my favourite?" Andy breathed in their scent, almost pressing her face right into them, and touched a couple of petals before she noticed the card nestled in amongst the leaves.

Familiar scrawl, and typically succinct. _ Andy – I'm sorry._

She instantly felt her heart constrict as she battled the tears that sprang to her eyes. She blinked furiously several times and looked over at his profile, absorbing the sound of his voice.

"I, uh, didn't… but they looked pretty and it reminded me of the little girl, so…" Sam shrugged and glanced over at his partner as she remembered.

_Flashback_

_Madeline had been missing for 7 hours when Andy and Sam found her huddled with her teddy bear, propped up against a fallen tree beside the river. _

_Apparently, whoever had stolen the family SUV hadn't realised there was a 4 year old in the car seat in the back. _

_Angela, a single, struggling mother had left the car running for a few minutes while she ran in to the store to get milk and came back not more than 5 minutes later to find her daughter missing._

_No security cameras, no eye witnesses, no reported sightings of the vehicle – 15th Division had nothing to go on except that the Amber alert might pick up something. An anonymous caller gave them the tip they'd all been praying for._

_1505 was closest and they began frantically searching the area surrounding the abandoned car, making their way to the river as quick as possible, fearing the worst, but almost crying in relief when they saw the little bundle of pink clothing stir and blink up at them._

_The mother was rushed to the scene, where, after the paramedics gave her a thorough examination and pronounced her completely fine, she pulled her daughter into fierce hug, and peppered her face with kisses. Andy and Sam watched over them with proud smiles, undoubtedly committing it to memory as one of the best days of their lives, when their work isn't in vain._

_Eventually, the mother brought Madeline over to thank 'the nice police officers' who'd rescued her. She clung onto Andy's legs, squeezing them tight and sending a bright smile to Sam, before running off again, much to the panic of her mother, only to return a moment later with a single yellow daisy held out to Andy._

_Taking the little flower, she gave Madeline a watery smile and told her how happy they were that they'd found her and that she was ok, before the pair nodded their goodbyes and left, Andy still clutching the flower carefully in her hand._

_End of Flashback_

"They're beautiful Sam," Andy whispered, sniffing a little and dabbing at her eyes. She moved into the middle of the truck and linked her arm through his, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Andy?" Sam's voice was deep and scratchy with emotion as he looked down at her, his heart pounding as he resisted the urge to kiss her hair. "Are we ok?"

He could feel her smile against him and he felt something dislodge in his chest at the sensation. "Yeah Sam," she breathed, "we've never been better."

…

.

.

Traci leaned against her locker, watching her best friend fiddle with her hair and subconsciously biting her lip against a smile every few seconds. She inwardly congratulated herself for her little bit of a push in the right direction and silently thanked whoever was up there looking down on them that it all hadn't backfired.

"Sooo… you seem happier than this morning? Did you slip something into your coffee after when I wasn't looking?" Traci turned back to rummage through her locker, purposefully busying herself to avoid any suspicion. But she was almost thrown _into_ her locker when Andy launched herself at Traci's back, hugging the life out of her. "Andy! What the…?"

"Thank you Trace…," Andy mumbled craning her neck to plant a sloppy kiss on her friend's cheek. "…for leaving me. For making me listen to him."

"Ummm… ok?" Traci's eyes widened before she schooled her features into confusion, but quickly gave way to a sly grin. "I can neither confirm nor deny any interference on my part." She held up her hands in innocence, then gave her friend a quick hug. "I'm glad it worked out ok." She pulled the elastic band tighter around her bun and closed the locker, patting herself down to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. "You do realise I'm expecting full details at the Penny tonight, right?"

"Sure, sure," Andy responded automatically and nodded, following Traci out the door before registering her words. "Oh, um… about tonight, I uh…" she caught Sam's eye at the back of the parade room and smiled, becoming absorbed in his eyes again. A sharp cough beside her drew her attention away, and she whipped her head around to Traci's inquisitive stare.

"You were saying?" She all but tapped her foot with impatience as Andy blushed and kept her eyes on her shoelaces.

"Uh… yeah, tonight… I kinda promised I'd sit with Sam tonight," Andy tucked her hair behind her ears again as it came loose, her hands fiddling nervously. Her eyes drifted over to him again, so she completely missed Traci's astonished stare. "But I'll…" she found her feet making their own way over to the back tables, "I'll explain everything later, alright?" Andy barely remembered to look back as she smiled up shyly at him, giddily taking her place beside him as he tapped at the empty table next to him.

Traci just shook her head in amazement and muttered a quiet, "uh huh, yeah" before claiming her seat next to Gail, slapping her shoulder to focus the blonde's attention to the back of the room.

…

.

.

Oliver kicked at his friend's shin to divert Sam's gaze from a certain rookie as she waltzed into the room. Receiving the inevitable yelp and glare for his actions, Oliver tilted his head towards the front of the room inconspicuously. "So… I take it she's forgiven you?"

Sam ran his tongue over his teeth, turning back to watch her, unable to keep the smile off his face every time she looked in his direction. It took him an extra several seconds to remember that Oliver had spoken to him, as he tried to draw her closer with his eyes. "Yeah," Sam breathed, shaking his head a little at the memory of how quickly she'd forgiven him, how he felt he still didn't deserve it. "But I've got a long way to go before I'll ever make it up to her."

He grinned as McNally walked towards them, practically forgetting Nash's existence. "Ah," Ollie sighed, clapping a hand on Sam's shoulder and leaned in to impart his little bit of wisdom, "Women tend to easily forgive those they love. And your girl," he nodded in Andy's direction, continuing even though he was sure Sam was miles away, "she's got a heart larger than most." He watched Sam's eyes brighten with every step she took closer, and saw him shift over an inch and pat the table. Oliver only just managed to hold in a chuckle at lovebirds, instead, taking the last few seconds before she came within hearing range to knock his elbow against Sam's, putting on a gruff expression as Sam looked briefly across. "But seriously? That happy face you've got plastered on? It's kinda creeping me out, brother."

Sam just rolled his eyes, glaring at his friend before his face instantly reverted back to the smile as she plonked herself down beside him. He'd have been lucky if he heard any of Best's announcements.

…

.

.

.

She was sitting on a park bench, munching on a hotdog, when she finally found the courage to broach the subject with him.

Sam scrunched up his napkin and flung it into a nearby bin, punching the air in victory when it sailed in. He stretched out his legs and leaned back, propping his hands behind his head as he waited for her to finish.

Andy focused on picking bits of relish out of the bun so she didn't have to see his reaction. "Um, Sam? Look, you can totally say no if you want, it's not a big deal, but I was just thinking… maybe… uh, you know, if you weren't too busy… but you probably are, so…"

She didn't even realise she was rambling until she felt his hand suddenly clasp her wrist. "McNally!" Sam chided, raising his eyebrows in a silent 'spit it out already'.

"Right, sorry." Andy ducked her head again and frowned at her sausage. "We both have the tomorrow off, don't we?" She sensed him nodding beside her, and heard his quiet 'mmm' of agreement. "So, I was wondering if you'd maybe come with me to check out a few apartments tomorrow. There's 3 I really like from the photos, but I'd like a second opinion, and…" Andy hesitated slightly before she finally glanced up at him, softening her voice, "I'd like _your_ opinion." Her eyes flickered over every aspect of his face, analysing everything while she waited for his answer, forcing herself to breathe.

Her lips quirked up at the corners when a wide grin spread across his face before he clamped down on it. "Course Andy!" Sam groaned inwardly at his obvious excitement and struggled to rein it in. "I'd love to Andy, count me in." His eyes crinkled at the edges when she returned his smile, and visibly took a huge sigh of relief. "All you had to do was ask, McNally, I'd already offered."

She pulled off a bit of the bread and popped it in her mouth, chewing a couple of times before she waved a hand. "Yeah I know, but, I just thought…" she stopped, trying not to sound too needy and self-absorbed.

"I'm always there when it matters," Sam bent his head to look in her eyes, biting the inside of his cheek when she nodded immediately, like she never doubted it for a second, and once again, Sam felt overpowered by her level of trust in him.

"So…" Andy reluctantly got to her feet, and walked a couple of steps before turning back to him, "Pick me up tomorrow?"

He grinned, following her as he placed his hand on the small of her back, prodding her forward. "9 sound ok?"

"Perfect!" Andy basically skipped back to the squad car, automatically heading for the passenger seat before she bumped into him and realised. "See? If you'd let me drive more often…"

Before she even got halfway through, Sam was shaking his head, already pushing her towards to driver's side. "Never, McNally. One time deal only. Better enjoy the next…" he paused to look exaggeratedly at his watch, "… 4 hours and change, before everything goes back to the way it should be."

Andy rolled her eyes and made sure to slam the door a little harder than necessary, watching Sam cringe and shoot her a warning glare. "I don't suppose you planned on making another little detour to the coffee shop on Spadina tomorrow morning?" She stared up at him through her eyelashes, getting ready to pout.

Sam huffed, motioning for her to start the car and stared out the window, muttering under his breath something like, "The things I do for you…" and sighed dramatically as her voice sang out her thanks, knowing he'd have probably bought it even if she hadn't asked. Brooding for a couple of minutes, he eventually shifted in his seat and turned to his partner, raking his eyes over her body and noting, for the thousandth time how amazing she looked in uniform, and even more so now that she'd adopted the air of authority.

"What're these places like, McNally? I thought you said you had pictures?"

"Uh, yeah I do. But they're in my locker." Andy waited for the voice over her radio to finish relaying the message. _1505 – report of an B&E at 127 Queens_. She flipped the lights and sirens on as Sam responded, pressing slightly harder on the pedal. "I'll bring them to the Penny later?" She quickly glanced across at him before taking the next right, smiling as Sam nodded, before they both adjusted their focus for the call ahead.

…

.

.

.

"Just go with me on this Ollie. I'm telling you, this'll make her happy."

Oliver held up his hands in surrender, but stood back, not bothering to exert any energy to assist Sam, preferring to watch him struggle to push the tables together. Oddly, they were heavier than he'd anticipated.

"What's going on, Shaw?" Oliver glanced over to see Dov and Chris at his elbow, gesturing to the scene in front of them.

He rubbed at his jaw and blew out a breath, taking a final look at Sam screeching the chairs around. "Apparently…" his voice indicating exactly what he thought of Sam's idea, "you rookies are sitting with us tonight."

"Really?!" Dov's excited voice caused Oliver to raise an unimpressed eyebrow at him, so he coughed, deepening his voice. "I mean, uh… really?"

Oliver just nodded scowling as he almost toppled over when Sam suddenly yanked the chair he was leaning on out from under him. "Sammy's got it into his stupid head that this will win over the heart of his fair maiden," he mocked, placing a hand over his heart and sniffed in fake nostalgia.

Chris let out a loud burst of laughter, but quickly clamped a hand over his mouth when Sam shot him a death-glare.

"Shut up, Ollie," he growled, slamming the last chair at the end of the table. Turning back to face them, he jolted in surprise to find her standing only a few feet away, staring at him with wide, stunned eyes. "Uh…"

"Sam? What're you doing?" Her voice floated over to him as she took in his rearranging.

"I just thought, um… maybe…" Truth be told, Sam had no idea what he'd say to her when she arrived, but he figured he'd have an extra 10 minutes or so to work it out, but she'd been faster than he anticipated. He could see Oliver shaking his head with a smirk and Epstein off to the side blabbering to Peck and Nash, hands flying everywhere as he gestured, no doubt filling them in on Sam's plan. He stuttered a little, but eventually came up with something resembling a sentence. "I thought you'd like to sit with your friends as well, so…" Sam ran a hand through his hair, using the other to motion at the tables, "… this seemed like the perfect solution."

The beam she gave him was worth any little effort he'd made and he felt his heart pound against his chest as she walked over to him. When she stopped right in front of him and leaned forwards on her toes, planting a soft kiss on his cheek, Sam swore his felt his heart stop for a second before kicking back in with frantic thumping that he was sure she could hear.

Her cool breath in his ear whispered a 'thank you' and right then, he was paralysed, until he slowly became aware that she'd disappeared. Sam blinked for a moment to regain his faculties before he realised that she was staring up at him from her seat, her soft smile luring him in. Quickly claiming the seat next to her, Sam pulled out his dimples, drawing his eyes away from her for only a second to wave over the bartender. "I promised you a drink, remember?" he muttered, leaning in a little, completely shutting out the background noise or the stares of the rest of the rookies and Oliver as they joined the pair.

Andy snorted, though unable to keep the smile from engulfing her face. "Was planning on reminding you of that, in case you decided to let it 'slip your mind'."

"Please!" Sam scoffed, acting like he was deeply wounded by her insinuation. "I'm a gentleman, McNally." He winked at her, and she blushed, turning away to take a sip of her beer. He chose to let her off the hook, "Now, did you bring the photos?" He grinned as she nodded eagerly, already digging through her bag and coming up with a wad of pages. "Well let's see 'em. Bet I can guess which one you've already got your heart set on."

Andy rolled her eyes, feigning irritation. "You may think you're that smart, but you, Sam Swarek, are not a mind-reader."

He raised his eyebrows in a challenge, "Try me."

…

.

.

Traci tipped her head in their direction and shifted her body away so her back was facing them. "She said he's taking her to see some apartments tomorrow. Andy _asked_ him." Traci gave Gail a meaningful look, before peeping over her shoulder the pair who were huddled over brochures. She held back a chuckle as Andy talked a mile a minute, pointing every now and then to a photo, and Sam just watched her with a small smile, nodding as she babbled enthusiastically, interrupting her a couple of times to ask the appropriate questions, though she was sure he was hardly able to focus on anything other than Andy.

Traci turned back, "I thought it was _your_ idea."

Gail shook her head, nibbling on a fingernail before she grimaced in disgust and forced her hand away. "Nope," popping the 'p'. "I had nothing to do with it, though I'd love to take credit for it. Looks like our Bambi's growing up."

All 5 pairs of eyes watched as Sam took a sip of whiskey to hide his grin as Andy cracked a joke, letting his arm rest across the back of her chair, completely mesmerised by the girl next to him.

…

.

.

_**Another one bites the dust! So, I'm not sure entirely where I'm headed with this, though I have an idea or two, but I don't know how long it'll be. Probably only a couple more chapters. Hope you all like this chapter, it's been my favourite one that I've written for a while, and I think somewhere in the middle there, I went to my happy place and actually wanted to continue writing. Constant struggle with me not to give up, but I'm pushing through, and I'm not at all ashamed to say I've well and truly become a review-whore - gives me a high for days. Thanks for your support, everyone! I'll try to update soon. Please REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: None of this heartbreak would have happened if it was mine.**_

_**I was going to update before this latest episode, but I'm still kinda in mourning for Jerry, and now completely distraught about McSwarek. Don't hate on Sam, I get why he's doing this, but he'll come around eventually – he has to. Just wanted to say, I think we should all hold a mourning, remembrance period for Jerry, so I'm suggesting everyone keep something blue on them at all times until the end of this season, I feel he deserves this much. Anyway, hope you all like this next chapter – I'm just going to push on and ignore the fact that the writers have broken my heart. Review please!**_

.

.

Sam Swarek was not nervous. He was completely calm and collected, nothing major about today whatsoever. So what if he'd barely slept a wink, instead preferring to clean almost literally every inch of his house, though knowing she'd never see it. Who cares if he changed his shirt 4 times before reverting back to the original one he'd picked out; took 2 showers just in case, and dabbed on some cologne, and eventually dowsed himself in it before he cursed his idiocy and took a third shower to rid himself of the overwhelming smell.

He'd already drunk 4 cups of coffee and was considering a fifth until he jumped at the sound of a dog barking in the distance and realised he was far too skittish for more caffeine. Sam arrived at the Nash residence 20 minutes early, despite making her requested detour to pick up her pick-me-up, and had to force himself to just sit there until the appropriate time had elapsed.

Sam couldn't see Traci's car anywhere, but figured she'd again become his guardian angel and left Andy all to himself. His hand hesitated a few inches from the door as Sam continued with the same pep-talk he'd been repeating all morning. _Just a girl. Just McNally. Just doing a friend a favour._

Blowing out a breath, his fist hit the door before he could talk himself out of it. Sam didn't hear any movement from the other side, and after waiting for nearly a minute, knocked louder, calling out her name and trying to ignore the voices piping up in the back of his mind saying she'd left already, changed her mind. The door opened a second later and any greeting he had prepared died on his lips.

Andy peered around the door, wide-eyed and embarrassed, her typical Bambi look gracing her features. Her hair was mussed on one side, like she'd been rolling around on it all night. Eyes, though slightly panicked, were still bleary with sleep, and her face free of makeup.

Sam let his eyes drift down to take in her tiny tank top and boy shorts, barely holding in a gulp as his mouth went dry. He felt his jaw drop a little in astonishment and pure lust of undoubtedly the most beautiful, sexy creature he'd ever beheld. Sam could vaguely hear her prattling away nervously and had to literally shake his head to focus on anything other than his body's instant and intense reaction to the sight of her. Taking a much needed breath, he managed to concentrate on her face, before his eyes were drawn to her lips, teeth pulling at her bottom lip as she paused, taking a second to rake her dark eyes over him, blushing, before launching into a stutter.

"Oh, God… I uh…" Andy ran a hand through her hair, frowning as her fingers got stuck in a rather large knot, tugging at it furiously before her eyes darted up to his. "I swear I told Traci to wake me. I'm so sorry, Sam, I overslept. I um…" She noticed him still staring at her, eyes dark and a little glazed over. She dropped her head, trying to quell the onslaught of butterflies causing havoc in her stomach, ashamed that she didn't even have time to make herself look presentable before he'd arrived. Andy stepped back from the door, still not looking him in the eye, but gestured for him to enter, not even aware that it took him several seconds before her words and actions registered in his mind.

"Shit!" Andy rubbed at her face as she looked in the hallway mirror, still painfully aware of Sam's hot stare. "I'm such a mess! I'm sorry, Sam. I'll only be a minute. Just uh… um, make yourself at home, I guess. I just need to…" She waved a hand at herself, already turning to flee the room. "… get changed." He heard her mutter something about coffee in the kitchen before she disappeared in a flurry.

Sam was still staring after her, long after she'd vanished from sight, before he blinked several times and ran a hand roughly over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out a deep sigh, and willing himself to get his head screwed on straight. He plopped heavily onto the lounge, struggling to control his wild heartbeat even as his knee bounced up and down. If he thought the other night was something spectacular, he was sorely mistaken. Nothing could compare in his mind to the vision of his McNally first thing in the morning, and his mind automatically flew to the dream of being there to see her every morning hereafter, preferably in his bed, her warm body snuggled up against him. Sam heard the shower switched on and sucked in a ragged breath as he vainly tried to steer his thoughts away from Andy in any form of water. He could already feel his jeans growing tighter and decided to escape to the kitchen before he acted rashly.

Desperately needing to occupy his hands, Sam scrubbed at the dirty dishes, not bothering with the dishwasher. Finally, with nothing left to do, he gripped tightly onto the kitchen table, clenching his eyes shut to regroup his thoughts.

"I could've sworn the last time I saw this kitchen it was a mess." Sam's head snapped up as he soft voice floated over to him. Andy watched him with a small smile on her face, nervously tucking a wet strand of hair behind her ear, dragging her hair to one side and wringing the last few droplets out of it.

Sam opened his mouth to say something, but his thought process ground to a halt as he looked at her. Jeans, emerald green t-shirt that lit up her eyes, a touch of makeup – every time he saw her he thought she couldn't be more perfect. Coughing slightly as he realised he still hadn't said anything since he'd knocked on her door, Sam's lips tweaked up in a tiny smile. "Morning McNally," his voice rumbled out, low and scratchy.

Andy grinned, echoing his greeting as she sauntered up to him, swaying her hips a little, loving the swallow she received as a result. She peered up at him through her eyelashes, tilting her head to the side. "Is that my coffee?" she nodded to the cup he grasped in his hand, and for the first time, noticed the paper bag on the end of the bench.

Sam grabbed at it and unceremoniously shoved both items into her hands before stepping around her and striding off to the front door, calling over his shoulder, "Ready to go," in his usual gruff TO voice. He didn't even wait for a reply before he opened it and stepped outside.

"Uh…" Andy watched his retreating back, eyes wide and concerned, wondering where the sweet man from yesterday had disappeared to, whether she'd done something to make him upset with her. She heard the door close behind him and sighed, "… yeah, I'll be right there." She curiously opened the bag, dragging out the blueberry muffin he'd brought for her, another favourite of hers, and instantly started to race after him, only stopping to grab her bag on the way out.

The couple of minutes it took for her to follow were enough to make him realise that he'd overreacted. Again… He looked up as he heard the door open and close again, and saw the contented smile playing on her lips as she clutched her coffee and muffin, and vowed right then to make it up to her, to spend the day trying to make her happy. Sam climbed out of his truck again and walked up to her, sending her a soft smile in apology, his hand reaching out to take her bag. Her smile widened at his gesture, eyes shining in delight.

Andy moved to step around him, but his hand squeezed her shoulder, turning her back to face him. Sam looked down, kicking at a stone, before glancing up at her. "I'm sorry about before. I was abrupt, I… I've had way too much coffee this morning and I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night." He sighed as she nodded her understanding and forgiveness, and for the thousandth time, Sam thought how unworthy he was of her. His eyes ran over her face, absorbing everything, forever grateful that she truly wasn't upset. "You didn't deserve that, Andy, I'm sorry."

Andy beamed at him and leaned forward to pat him on the cheek. "Thanks for my muffin, Sam." She watched as he nodded, body relaxing a little as he walked over to open the door for her, slipping his hand into hers to help her into his truck and reluctantly withdrew it again. Nibbling on her muffin, Andy brought out a clump of papers from her bag as Sam hopped in the driver's seat and started the truck.

"Where to first?" Sam tipped his head in the directions of her papers when she looked over at him with a questioning expression.

"Oh, um… the corner Bathurst and College Street."

…

.

.

.

"This is the one isn't it?" Sam voice broke through her mental interior decorating.

Andy bit her lip against the huge grin that was struggling to break free… and winning. She looked over at him sheepishly, seeing his raised eyebrow and smirk. "It's got huge beautiful bay windows, wooden floors, lots of light and space – what's not to love?"

"Yeah, I can tell. You've got that cotton candy look on your face." Sam shook his head in amusement and bent down to check under the kitchen sink.

"Huh?" Andy furrowed her brows, and walked over to him when he didn't respond, tapping him on the back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sam barely refrained from rolling his eyes, but obliging stood up, crossing his arms as he looked at her. "Those little girls you see at carnivals, running around with pigtails and huge sticks of cotton candy stuffed in their mouths? I knew as soon as we walked in here that this was the one. You've got that same expression as those little girls, like you can't imagine anything better."

Andy slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "I don't have that expression."

Sam snorted, flicking at her hair. "But you _do_ like this one."

She finally let her smile escape fully, shooting him a wide toothy grin. "It's just… it feels _right_, you know? Like it's the perfect fit." She ran her fingers over the smooth granite bench top, peering over her shoulder at him. "But, I mean, what do you think? Is there anything I should be concerned about?"

"It's great, Andy. It's very you."

"It is, isn't it?" Andy wandered over to the windows, sighing in happiness.

"So, shall we tell the agent that you're buying it?" Sam couldn't help but smile back as she spun around, nodding ecstatically, eyes bright and excited. She launched herself at him, earning her a grunt as she almost knocked him over, automatically winding her arms around his neck, before she realised what she'd done and pushed off him again, embarrassment colouring her cheeks.

"Sorry, don't know what came over me." Andy ducked her head, missing Sam's shocked, completely enamoured stare as his body tingled all over.

"Ahem…" the agent, Gary, tapped on the door, walking in with his clipboard, unaware of his interruption. "So, Miss McNally, what'd you think?"

Andy snuck a quick glance in Sam's direction before forcing herself to concentrate. "I love it!" Gary smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'll take it!"

"Great!" He leaned forward into her space, much to Sam's disgust as he clenched his fists, sending him a menacing glare though he was oblivious to Sam's presence in the room. "Well, your paperwork and mortgage seems to be in order. The owner's want to move as quickly as possible on this, so let's get you signed up and you should be able to move in by the week-end."

Andy clapped her hands and all but squealed in glee as Gary led her out of the apartment, resting his hand on the small of her back.

Sam tightened his jaw, so close to decking the guy, but once again reminded himself that Andy was not his. Dropping his head and forcing himself to breathe, Sam followed behind them, thankful that Andy had distanced herself from Gary's touch. As she kept checking behind her for Sam, he plastered a smile on his face and nodded his approval. Anything to make her happy.

…

.

.

Literally skipping to the truck, Andy stopped at the passenger side, waiting for Sam to unlock the doors. Turning to face him, her smile blinding and infectious. "So, _partner_. What d'ya say to dinner tonight? I know you've been dying for a steak at that new place on Richardson. My treat, of course, you know, to say thanks for chauffeuring me around all day."

Sam, who was halfway in the truck, stiffened immediately, one hand resting on his door, the other gripping the keys so they dug into his palm. "Yeah?" he breathed, not caring that he sounded way too hopeful. At her nod, Sam smiled, dimples making their appearance as his eyes brightened. "Andy, that sounds great!" He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and tore his eyes away from her to look at the screen, frowning almost immediately. "Damn!" Sam cursed under his breath, thumping the roof of his truck.

"What's the matter?" Her quiet, worried voice brought him out of his thoughts.

Sam looked up at her, a grimace masking his face as his eyes told her the news she didn't want to hear. Not now. "That's Oliver reminding me of the poker game tonight." His heart fell has her face did, hating that once again he'd disappointed her.

"Oh, ok." She tried to keep the lightness in her voice, but failed. "Raincheck then, I guess."

"No, Andy, wait…" But she'd already climbed into the truck and closed the door, so with a slight groan, he did the same. Turning to face her immediately, Sam placed a hand on her shoulder, effectively stopping her fidgeting. "I can cancel. I'd completely forgotten about it, so I can say I've already made plans."

Andy shook her head determinedly, putting a hand on his arm. "No. It's not important, Sam. There's always another time, and I'd feel bad for taking you away from your friends."

"It _is_ important."

"No, seriously Sam. Go to your poker night. But how about on Sunday night, I make you dinner in my new home? I should have unpacked by then." Her big brown eyes stared up at him and he stared right back, unsure of what to say. After a few seconds, she prodded his shoulder, "Should I take that as a 'yes'?"

Sam blinked a couple of times before he answered, "Yes, of course, McNally. I'd love to. But…"

"Great!" Andy cut him off and turned away again, shoving the paperwork into her bag. "That's settled then. Sunday it is!"

Sam gnawed on the inside of his lip, watching her for a moment before he put the keys into the ignition and started driving. A few blocks later, at a red light, Sam glanced over at his partner, eyebrow raised and a tiny smirk on his face. "So, I'm guessing on Saturday you'd like to avail yourself of my awesome removalist skills?"

"Really?!" Andy perked up at the suggestion, thankful that she didn't have to ask him herself. "You'd do that?"

Sam 'hmmphed' for a second, faking offence. "I told you, I'm a gentleman, McNally. And besides, who else owns a truck and would be willing to sacrifice a day out of his busy schedule to help you?"

Andy grinned, rolling her eyes at his ego. "Anyone ever tell you that you're the best partner a girl could wish for?" She knocked her elbow against his, winking.

"Course! All the time!" Sam scowled as she snorted her disbelief. He stopped the truck suddenly and chucked some change at her. Andy frowned until she looked out the window, her eyes lighting up again. Turning back to him, she looked down at the amount in her hands and opened her mouth to question, but he simply nudged her towards the door. "And while you're at it, bring me back a pistachio."

Sam couldn't help but smirk to himself in satisfaction as Andy wrinkled her nose, but obediently hopped out, and walked off, looking over her shoulder at him every few seconds with an astonished look on her face.

…

.

.

Every time Best called out her name during the rest of the week, Andy had to force herself not to grimace. She was _always_ partnered with Sam, but for some reason, Frank was going through a test period, changing up all the pairs so everyone could learn to work with others' strengths and weaknesses. The first time, she shot a worried glance at Sam, but he just shrugged back, hiding an internal groan of frustration and anxiety.

But every day without fail, they managed to, somehow or other, bump into each other at the coffee station, sending shy smiles and quick greetings before their partners dragged them away for the day.

The Penny was the only time they got to themselves, though it usually ended far too quickly for either of them, as either Jerry or Oliver interfered, and Gail and Traci were left scowling at them on Andy's behalf.

Saturday couldn't come quick enough for either of them, but unfortunately Chris and Dov had also insisted on helping, despite many warnings and threats from Gail. Never left alone for more than a few minutes at a time, the frustration was starting to get the better of Andy, while Sam was almost grateful for the distraction from Andy. It was getting too serious too quickly, and the voice in Sam's head told him that if he pushed her, she'd run. So he distanced himself, determined that nothing would scare her off.

But when he saw the beads of sweat glistening on her tan skin, the t-shirt she was wearing riding up a little and her bubbling laughter as Dov dropped a box of books on his toe, Sam couldn't take it any longer without cracking and doing something they'd both regret. He'd bid her goodbye and made his escape, refusing her attempts to make him stay longer, missing the saddened expression on her face as he left. He just needed time to adjust his focus before he could spend more time around her.

He sat in his truck, arms folded over the steering wheel and his head resting on top of them, for about 10 minutes, before he could bring himself to actually leave. She looked happy, yes, but did that mean she was ready to move on? With him? She'd been overly affectionate with him lately, but in the same breath, kept referring to him as her _partner_. God, that word had never irritated him more. Like that was all they'd ever be and he should stop reading into things.

Sam rubbed at his eyes, mentally slapping himself for doing what he'd always warned Andy about. Overthinking. It was making him crazy. Dumping his keys loudly on the hallway table, Sam headed straight for the shower, resolved to conquer this insanity once and for all. Until she said differently, they were strictly partners. He'd wait for her to be ready even if it killed him.

…

.

.

Sam managed somehow to restrain himself from going into a frenzy on Sunday evening. Controlling his movements with tightly-leashed self-discipline, he watched television until it was a _normal_ hour to get ready, leaving at a _normal_ time to get there, only stopping by the bottle shop to get a _normal_ bottle of wine which just so happened to also be her favourite. He willed himself not to be overwhelmed on this date. _It's NOT a date. Just dinner with a friend. Someone I work with. Totally platonic. _

Nevertheless, Sam cursed inwardly as his hands shook went her went to knock. "H-hi," Sam stammered as soon as the door opened, wanting to get the first word in before he'd even looked at her. And again, he was left breathless and struggling to maintain usual thinking faculties.

He faintly heard to greet him in return and beckon him in, taking his jacket as he tried to recollect himself. "You look beautiful, Andy." She beamed at his praise, and at the last second he remembered his mantra. "And the uh… new apartment looks great."

"Thanks. You too." Andy blushed and fiddled with the coat rack. "I mean, um, you look good too." Sam just smiled, letting his eyes roam over her. A dark purple cotton dress, barefooted, a touch of makeup and her hair naturally wavy. He loved seeing the different sides of her, and he knew with a gun held to his head, he'd never be able to choose which one he like the most. Sam snapped out of it when she started to speak again. "Bienvenue à chez McNally." She spread her hand out, proud of her work. "My unpacking skills may leave a little to be desired, but voilà!"

"Going French tonight, are we?" Sam joked, handing her the wine, loving the smile he got when she noticed the label, and followed her through her apartment, taking everything in, stopping to look at some pictures of all the rookies at what looked like their graduation.

"Well, I haven't used it for a while, so…" Andy let her sentence trail off as she handed him a beer, and all but pushed him down onto the lounge. "I'm just finishing off the salad and take the lasagne out of the oven. Just relax, it'll only be a minute."

"It smells amazing." Sam relished the twinge of redness on her cheeks at his compliment.

"Considering I have it on good authority that you don't trust my culinary abilities, forgive me if I don't believe you."

Sam wandered over to the kitchen, peering over her shoulder into the oven until she elbowed him lightly in the stomach. "I never said that!" Sam held up his hands in innocence. "But seriously, I'll reserve my final judgement until I actually taste it, but…" He gently turned her chin so she could look at him. "I mean it. It smells great." Sam lowered his voice to a murmur. "Thanks for inviting me."

Andy gazed up at him shyly. "There's no one else I'd rather have here." She hoped beyond everything that he'd understand her real meaning.

Sam felt his pulse race at her words and her closeness. He could see the tiny flecks of gold in her eyes as she watched him and when her tongue peeked out to wet her bottom lip, Sam forced himself to take a step back, raising the beer bottle to his lips to diffuse the sudden tension.

Andy sighed, letting her shoulders slump a bit and she wondered what she was doing wrong. Shaking off the disappointment, she gathered the lasagne out and moved it to the table, motioning for him to take a seat. "Dinner is served!"

A couple of mouthfuls in, Sam paused mid bite, before swallowing and reaching forward to touch her arm, only to have second thoughts a moment later. "I was right."

Andy looked up from her plate. "About…?"

"It's amazing. You're a great cook, McNally. I'll never doubt you again." He held his wine glass out to hers in a toast.

…

.

Conversation was never going to be an issue, especially with an endless supply of anecdotes staring mainly Oliver and Dov. But by the time they'd finished desert and moved on to coffee, neither wanted the night to end.

Having migrated over to the lounge, they sat almost knee to knee, facing each other as they talked. Breaking the comfortable silence that had drifted over them, Andy shifted a little closer to him, placing a hand on his thigh to garner his attention.

Sam's head whipped around at the contact, and he stiffened when he realised how near she was. The wine gave a rosy hue to her cheeks and made her eyes soften, and he thought if he leaned forward just a few more inches, he could taste the sweetness of it on her lips. Sam knew exactly what he wanted, what he'd craved for so long, but he refused to give in and have her regret it in the morning. And yet he still couldn't move.

"Sam? I'm glad you're here." Her eyes studied every inch of his face, dwelling on his lips that looked so good, and she knew tasted even better. "Your support means a lot to me. I hope you realise that."

Sam took a measured breath before he dared to speak, his voice gravelly and low. "Anytime, Andy." Seeing the quirk of her lips, Sam knew it was time to withdraw before he ruined everything. Standing suddenly, causing Andy to jerk backwards, he moved towards the table, gathering all the plates and depositing them in the dishwasher.

"No, Sam. Don't do that!"

"I insist McNally." Sam waved her off as she tried to pull him away. "And besides, you made dinner, so it's only fair that I do the washing up."

"But Sam…"

"Andy…" He turned to face her, staring her down with a soft glare. "Let me." Sam smiled at her silence and continued stacking. Finally turning around, he had a self-satisfied grin on his face, raising an eyebrow at her. "There! Bet you never knew I was so domesticated, huh?"

His smile dimmed when she stepped up to him, chest against chest, and leaned forward to place an open-mouthed kiss against his cheek. "You're amazing, Sam." She whispered, keeping her face resting against his.

Sam sucked in a sharp breath, gulping as he breathed in her scent. It was almost too much for him. "A-andy?" His voice came out hoarse and choking. "I uh…" He closed his eyes as the words nearly slipped out, but the niggling voice of fear struck again. "It's um, pretty late so…" he watched as she leaned back, waiting for his next words. "… and we have work in the morning." Sam was barely holding it together, so he stepped away, somewhat welcoming the distance. "I think I'd better be going."

"What?" Andy blinked as he headed back to the hallway, grabbing his coat. "No, Sam… I…"

"I had a really great time tonight, McNally." His hand was already turning the door handle, as she reached out for him one last time, trying to form the words to get him to stay. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sam!" Andy called out, voice breaking.

But without waiting for an answer, he'd gone.

…

.

.

Andy wiped away the tears that began rolling down her face as she looked out the window, seeing his taillights disappearing down the street. She slid down the wall, cradling her knees up to her chest before finally letting the sobs escape. A shaky hand pulled out her mobile and scrolled through the numbers.

"Gail?" Andy's whimpering voice echoed through the phone, sniffing as she tried to keep from suffocating.

"What now, Andy? I thought you're supposed to be with Swarek tonight?" The blonde's annoyed voice brought on a fresh batch of tears.

"I hate you!" Andy screamed down the phone as she blubbered. "You've ruined everything! You were wrong about Sam, and now I've wrecked the only good thing in my life."

"What!" Gail sat bolt upright in bed, already kicking of the blankets and reaching for her clothes, making a mental note to call Traci and haul her ass down to Andy's as well. "What the hell happened?"

"He, he…" Andy couldn't get the words out as the sobs racked her body again.

"I'll be there in 10 minutes Andy, just hold on, ok?" Gail hung up, immediately dialling another number as she searched for her keys, eventually finding them wedged between a cushion.

A voice spoke in her ear as she headed out towards her car. "Traci? Andy needs you…. No, I don't know what happened, she wouldn't say, but she sounded bad…. Yeah, I'm leaving as we speak… Yep, meet you there."

Gail slammed her hand on the steering wheel and put the car in drive, shaking her head and wondering what he'd done wrong this time.

…

.

.

_**Yep, again, not how I wanted this to go, but here we are. Hope you all liked it, so please please please REVIEW! Oh, and don't forget to wear something blue until the end of this season. God, it's so depressing, I hope next week heals my pain and theirs. Hopefully the next chapter will be up next week sometime. Until then…**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: Christmas is too long away and I get the feeling my wish still won't come true.**_

_**Kinda sad about the lack of reviews and I'm sorry you all didn't like the last chapter. I'll try to do better in future. But I've decided this will be my last chapter for this story, and hopefully I'll move onto something else soon. I had an idea right from the start about the ending, but now I've completely changed it, so I hope it still sounds ok. Please enjoy and review! And don't forget to wear something blue!**_

.

.

By the time Traci arrived, Gail had managed to coax her into bed, smoothing out her hair on her pillow and motioning for her to keep sipping the tea by her bed. She'd found Andy huddled by the window, clutching her phone, in a puddle of tears and mascara. It had taken her a few seconds to get over her shock of seeing her friend in such a mess, before Gail sprang into action, gathering her off the floor and absorbing the punches Andy threw her way before she exhausted herself and all but collapsed in Gail's arms.

Traci was swiftly ushered into the kitchen as Gail explained the snippets that Andy had revealed in between sobs and cries of self-loathing.

"Oh jeez!" Traci rubbed a hand over her face, shaking her head in part astonishment and pity. "Why can't anything with those two be simple?"

"And here I was thinking that giving Andy the little push she needed would solve everything, but it all seems to be backfiring." Gail threw up a hand in frustration, turning to walk back to the bedroom. "I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to convince her not to throw in the towel, but she keeps moaning about her not being worthy of him, that he's just trying to let her down easily – God this is a mess!"

They stopped in the doorway, peering in on Andy as she stared up at the ceiling, alternating shaking her head and sighing, wiping at her already red and puffy eyes.

Traci pursed her lips, tilting her head sideways so she could see the blonde. "We need to pay Sam a visit." She turned back to watch over her friend who'd now cradled herself in the foetal position, but she could sense Gail nodding. "But right now, I have to make Andy see some sense."

They both ambled over to the bed, wincing slightly at the heartbroken look on their friend's face and shifted her body over a little so they could perch on the edge of the bed. Andy looked up at them, her big brown eyes filled with pain and sadness. As she sniffed, burrowing her face under the doona, Traci reached out and rubbed at her shoulder, trying to sooth her.

Her voice was soft and caring when she eventually spoke, uncovering Andy's face so she could see the truth in her eyes. "Whatever you're thinking, Andy, you're wrong." Traci raised her eyebrows at her, daring Andy to refute it, but continued before she could even begin to argue. "We've all watched Sam pine after you for nearly 2 years. You _know_ he'd do anything for you, to protect you and care for you." She saw Andy blinking back tears as she wished it could be true. "The only reasonable explanation for this is that he didn't understand the signs. He's probably waiting until he's sure you're ready for something more. You've just been through a fairly major break-up, Andy. Sam's trying to be a gentleman and not rush you."

Andy was shaking her head frantically long before Traci finished speaking. "No. Look, I know you're trying to make me feel better, but the fact is that Sam doesn't want me." She held up a weak hand to stop them from interrupting as they both opened their mouths. "It's true! Maybe at one time he did like me, but it's obviously long gone now and he's making it clear to me that he only wants to be friends. I keep trying to push him into something he doesn't want and he's trying to be nice and not hurt my feelings. But now I've screwed it all up!" Andy swiped at the tears that began making tracks down her cheeks again, taking a deep shuddering breath. "I should never have believed that Sam would want someone like me."

"Don't you dare start doubting how amazing you are!" Traci almost shouted it out, but when she heard the little whimper coming from her best friend, she softened her voice, racking her brain to think of a way to encourage her. "Right from the start, Sam's been there with you through everything, and he knows the kind of person you are. Beautiful and intelligent, and ok, maybe a bit of a handful, but you have the biggest heart, Andy. Sam's seen that, he's always had faith in you, even when you doubted yourself. He cares, more than any of us could probably ever know – why else would he have wanted to beat Luke to a pulp after the 'Jo' thing? I swear Oliver had to physically restrain him from tearing his limbs off." Traci grinned as Andy let out a strangled hiccup-laugh.

Gail handed over the box of tissues, grimacing as Andy loudly blew her nose and dropped it into the bedside bin, automatically reaching for more. "It's all just a misunderstanding." She saw Andy's nod and immediately shook her head, fixing her with a determined stare. "No, not like that. You have to believe us, Andy, Sam's in lo… Sam _likes_ you, a lot, and he'll come around soon, you'll see. It's just, some men are oblivious to things unless it comes and smacks them in the face. You just have to wait a little longer."

"Gail's right." Traci squeezed her shoulder, sending her a small smile, thankful that she seemed to be calming down. "Good things come to those who wait. Everything will be ok, Andy, trust us. Don't give up on him just yet."

Andy let out a sigh, begrudgingly acknowledging what they'd said and hoped beyond anything that it was true. That she'd wake up the next morning and her world would miraculously right itself. Sinking back into her pillow, she finally let the fatigue overcome her and her breathing eventually evened out.

Quietly slipping from the apartment, they made their way to Traci's car, resolved to let Sam Swarek have a piece of their minds, and hopefully end this dance permanently.

…

.

.

He wasn't asleep, but still, the loud thumping at his front door startled him. Pondering for a few seconds who on earth would be knocking at 3am, Sam subconsciously glanced back at the info commercials on his TV, and realising it was already muted, frowned and reluctantly levered himself off the lounge towards the incessant banging. Whipping it open before whoever it was could have the chance to pound again, Sam was fully prepared to send them a few choice words and slam the door back in their face. But just as he opened his mouth, his blurry eyes made out the figures standing on his doorstep and immediately his mind went into panic.

"Nash? Peck?" Sam ran a hand through his already unruly hair. He noticed they weren't in uniform and prayed that was a good sign, but he didn't register the scowls on their faces. "A-andy? Is Andy ok? She was fine when I left a couple of hours ago. What's happened?" He didn't even care that the words were tumbling out of his mouth, all he could feel was his heart stuttering as he waited for them to speak.

Gail pushed at his chest and barged her way through into his hallway, Traci not far behind, and as she reached the lounge room, taking in the blanket tangled on the sofa and the TV flickering in the background, Gail sighed, letting her hands drop from her hips and muttered something that sounded vaguely like, "yeah, just as I thought."

"Anyone care to tell me what the hell is going on?" Sam's concerned and slightly angry voice drew their attention back to his figure propped up against the wall.

Gail walked over to him and poked at his shoulder. "As a matter of fact, no, Andy's not ok and she wasn't 'fine' when you left her either!"

"What? What do you mean?" Sam hit her hand away and his hand gripped tighter on his beer bottle.

"Andy's spent the last couple of hours since you walked out on her, crying her eyes out cos she thinks you don't love her."

"What?!"

"Is that seriously all you can say?" Traci broke in as they both stared him down.

"No… I…" Sam's eyes flicked between them, completely confused and in that moment, more than a little worried.

Traci sighed, shaking her head and turned to Gail in disbelief before chuckling a little bitterly. "You really don't get it, do you?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gail slump into his lounge and put her head in her hands. "Andy's been doing everything she can think of to let you know she wants to be with you and yet you keep screwing up and making Andy doubt that you care for her."

"But I do!" Sam coughed, trying to rid the lump in his throat as the realisation slowly started to sink in. "I love her," his voice was rough and low, almost a whisper as he begged them to believe him.

"We know, Sam," Gail lifted her head to look at him, tired of this whole ordeal. "But this has to end. You ran out on her tonight for God knows what reason and Andy's taking it as a sign that you don't want to be with her, that you just want to be friends. Why do you think she's been so clingy and emotional the past week or so, wanting to be around you, telling you how much you mean to her? She set this whole thing up so you'd finally clue in and ask her out, and now she's thinking she made a fool out of herself."

"No, but… she… and I thought that…" Sam's face was horror stricken as her actions suddenly made sense and he collapsed on a chair, hanging his head. He remembered the smell of her sweet perfume as she leaned into him, the brush of her lips on his cheek, her words whispered in his ear, and finally, the look of shock and rejection as he stepped away. "Oh God! I just left her there…"

Traci placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "It'll be ok, Sam. But now's the time to fix this."

Sam scrubbed at his face, nodding. "What do I do?"

They both shrugged, almost in unison, looking at each, opening their hands out as they acknowledged that they had no plan. In the end, the best Gail could come up with was, "Just… _something_ Sam. You have to do _something_."

He groaned in response letting his body sag in helplessness. Taking a sip of his beer, Sam stared off into the distance, tapping his finger against the bottle, wishing that somehow he'd be able to make this up to her. The next second he leapt off the lounge and disappeared into his room. They could faintly hear him open several drawers and shove things around before he murmured a little unintelligible noise and re-emerged, grasping a smallish rectangular black velvet box in his right hand.

"I, uh…" Sam held it out to Traci, scratching at the back of his neck nervously. "It was supposed to be for her birthday, but I thought… maybe…" He stopped short when he heard a gasp and his eyes flew to her face, anxiously gnawing at the inside of his cheek as he saw her clamp a hand over her mouth and then silently hand the object to Gail who had a similar reaction. Wide-eyed, she let out a low whistle, shaking her head with a small smile.

"Is it…? Um, do you… do you think she'll like it?" Sam stumbled through his words, watching each of them, trying to pick up on any traces in their eyes that should cause him to worry even more.

"Yeah," they breathed out in harmony. Their bodies had both relaxed and they beamed up at him, fully reassured that their friend had found the right guy.

"She'll love it, Sam," Traci gazed at it once more, before handing it back, watching as he ran a thumb over it. "It's perfect."

Gail stood, tugging Traci along with her. "You'll do fine, Sam." She headed for the door before turning back, smirking as she saw him still standing there, looking in the box, hardly noticing their absence. "I was going to say sorry for disturbing you, but I kinda have the feeling you weren't getting much sleep." She winked at him as he glanced up with a guilty expression. "Good luck."

Traci reached out and opened the door, shivering as the cold breeze blew in. Pulling her coat tighter around her, she was about to step outside when Sam's quiet voice made her pause.

"Wait! Just…" He approached them, clearly unsure of what he wanted to say, opening his mouth a few times before closing it again. Holding the box in both hands, Sam looked down at it once more and realised it was his battle not theirs. Something he had to do by himself. Time to step up to the plate. "…uh," he sent them a small smile, knowing his words would never convey just how much he appreciated their interference. He blew out a deep breath, "Thanks," Sam finished gently, hoping his eyes could say everything else.

"Don't screw it up." Traci's final words rang in his ears long after they'd stepped into the cold and driven away, and all he could do was nod in return, sending a silent prayer up to the sky that Andy'd forgive him for all his mistakes. Give him one last chance and he'd do everything in his power never to mess it up again.

…

.

.

.

By the time she reached the locker room, Traci and Gail had already disappeared well before, claiming something about paperwork to catch up on before parade, but she was too tired to care. Groaning as she dragged herself towards her locker, casting a glance down to her watch, Andy sighed and rolled her eyes, knowing once again she'd be late if she didn't hurry up, but couldn't find it within herself to move any faster than her current lethargic pace. Taking twice as long to remember her lock combination, eventually she opened her locker while simultaneously leaning down to plonk her bag on the floor beside her.

Finally looking up, Andy felt herself suck in a sharp breath, eyes suddenly huge in surprise. Sitting, perched on the top shelf, gleaming at her, was the most beautiful emerald necklace she'd ever seen. Her hand of its own accord was drawn towards the box as she reached out to touch it almost in disbelief.

"Go out with me, Andy." Sam's strong gravelly voice made her jump, yanking her hand back as if she was caught in the act. Andy turned to see him appear from behind a row of lockers, eyes fixated on her, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Sam," she breathed, eyes filled with awe, darting glances between him, steadily moving towards her, and the exquisite emerald peeking out from her locker.

Sam stopped right in front of her, bending slightly to look into her eyes, lowering his voice to a murmur, pouring out every emotion he could muster through his eyes as he repeated his plea. "Go out with me." He watched as she blinked a couple of times, trying to process everything, before she frowned, shaking her head a little. He saw her open her mouth and put a finger on her lips to stop her, ready to beg, to do anything to convince her. Sam quirked his lips up in a regretful smile, "I screwed up… again… It seems like the only I keep doing lately. I should never have run out on you like that last night." He exhaled deeply and a bit shaky, "I didn't think… I, uh… I thought I was reading too much into it and I didn't want to rush you into anything that you'd regret."

"No, Sam, I…" Again he shushed her, and she simply let him continue, too much in shock to persist. Instead, preferring to watch his dark eyes tell her that she still had hope.

"I misread the signs, clearly. I just… I thought it was just me."

Finally, when he seemed to stop, gathering his thoughts, Andy decided it was time to speak up. "I've been trying so hard to get you to notice me, to see that I'm ready to be more than just friends. But I thought maybe you didn't want to be with me." She was struggling not to let her emotions get the better of her as she felt more tears building up behind her eyes.

"Of course I do!" Sam blurted, inwardly sighing as she looked down at her feet. Touching her arm, he tried to continue, "Andy, I…"

"I've been trying to make myself the kind of girl you'd want, one that was worthy of you, but…" she sniffed, forcing her voice not to quiver, "but you didn't seem to notice."

Sam let out a tiny grin as he shook his head, lifting her chin up so she'd look at him. "McNally, I _did_ notice. I notice everything about you. I just… I didn't know it was for me. And you should know, you don't have to change anything for me. I don't want you to change." He closed his eyes briefly, cursing himself again and again. "I didn't know that's what you wanted. I _hoped_, but…." He let his head drop, not wanting to see her face as he confessed. "I was scared shitless." Sam chuckled a little self-depreciatingly. "I thought if I pushed you… I didn't want to lose you, Andy. If you said no, I'd have screwed up and lost you even as a friend, but it turns out, I screwed up anyway."

He felt her soft hand running over his cheek, coming to rest just above his heart. "You could never have lost me, Sam." Andy's quiet voice reassured him, and as he looked up, he saw her eyes were watery, but a small smile graced her features before it vanished again. "And you haven't screwed up."

"I've done everything wrong. I've hurt you."

"No, you haven't. It's just… all I wanted was for you to want me." Andy gave him a shy smile, looking up at him through her eyelashes before dropping her eyes to study her shoelaces, whispering, "I wanted you to look at me like I was the only girl in the world for you."

Sam felt his heart clench at her words, before it kicked back with force, pumping away like it was attempting to leap out of his chest. Placing both palms on each cheek, raising her head again to face him. "God, Andy," he muttered, "You have no idea." Sam's eyes locked on hers, filled with love and adoration, willing her to see it. "I've been in love with you for 2 years. There won't ever be another girl for me." He beamed as Andy searched his eyes, mouth partially agape before it spread into a glorious smile.

Andy squeaked, "Really? Sam, I, uh… are you sure?" She couldn't help but doubt herself one last time, feeling undeserving of his love even as she craved it, succumbing to giddiness as his words floated into a permanent replay in her mind. _He loves me, he loves me. Sam Swarek loves me!_

Sam rolled his eyes, leaning in and ignoring her question. "Go out with me, McNally," he repeated for the 3rd time, his lips only inches away from hers. Speechless, Andy just nodded, biting her lip to stop the smile spreading. But Sam didn't even bother stopping his as pure elation flooded through him. "I love you, Andy." He uttered the words so quietly that if her eyes hadn't have been darting between his lips and his eyes, she might have missed it.

Andy let her eyes flutter shut as he moved infinitely closer, hovering for a second before he placed a feather-light kiss on one cheek, then the other, then nudging her nose with his, Sam pulled back. She opened her eyes to find him gazing at her intently, waiting for her approval. She blinked up at him, fully enchanted by the beautiful man in front of her that she barely felt herself nod before his lips closed over hers, enveloping her in the sweetest, most perfect kiss she could ever imagine.

It ended far too soon for her liking, but it took her a few moments to register that Sam was staring at her again. Only looking up for a second, she reached for him, her euphoric smile almost getting in the way as she kissed him.

Sam was trying to keep it light, not pressuring her, but as soon as he felt her teeth nip at his bottom lip and her tongue slip into his mouth as he gasped for air, he was gone. Suddenly smothering her body with his, Sam pushed up against the locker, hands everywhere as he tried to feel every inch of her, his mouth moving over hers in a kind of frenzied passion Andy had a hard time keeping up. Finally, running out of air, they broke apart panting, Sam pecking at her lips a few times as they locked eyes, their bodies still tightly pressed against each other.

Letting his grin slip out for a moment, Sam's hand fumbled in her locker before eventually grasping the little box, bringing it up between them.

"It's beautiful, Sam." Andy whispered, her voice drowned in wonder as her eyes were transfixed on the necklace.

"Turn around, Andy," Sam murmured, gently lifting the little silver chain out of the box.

"But…" Sam fixed her a point stare, and when she closed her mouth again, he twirled a finger in the air, silently motioning for her to turn.

Lifting her hair up, she obeyed, and for once, Sam was grateful she couldn't see him. Quickly wiping his hands against his pants, ignoring their slight tremor, he took a deep breath and moved the necklace in place, fingers faltering a little as he tried to close the clasp. She touched the pendant, feeling the cool stone against her skin, and turned around, completely awed by him.

Finally finding her voice, she spoke, even as she kept a hold of it, not wanting to ever let it go. "But what about work? I don't want the streets to damage it."

"We're on desk today."

"We? You hate desk. Aren't you going to swap?" She felt his hand close over hers briefly and she reluctantly let him pull her hand away from her beautiful necklace.

Andy watched him shrug, looking away for a moment and evidently fighting the small smile that tugged at his lips before he faced her again, lowering his eyes shyly. "No, I mean… you'll be there." Hardly giving her time to process his words, he prodded her lightly, stepping back away.

"You'd better get dressed, McNally. You'll be late for parade as usual," he teased walking backwards to the door, not taking his eyes off her for a moment.

She pretended to huff, putting her hands on her hips and sending him an annoyed glare only to feel it slip away a moment later. "It's _your_ fault."

Sam just held his hands up in innocence, grinning. Turning to find the door handle, he looked back one last time, softening his grin. "I'll wait for you outside when you're ready."

"But you're never late for parade."

He shook his head, already stepping through the door. "I'll wait."

…

.

10 minutes later, after the rest of the shift had passed him and shot him some peculiar looks, and after glancing down at his watch for almost the twentieth time, Sam pushed himself off the wall, a lazy smile plastered on his face as she appeared. Despite his reassurance, she still looked shocked to find him waiting for her. Running his hand down her arm and interweaving their fingers, Sam watched the pure elation light up her face.

He turned to go, but Andy pulled him back, nervously tucking a hair behind her ear as she noticed his questioning expression. She cleared her throat quietly, her vocal chords suddenly tightening against her, but ignoring the strong thumping in her chest, she propped herself up on her toes and planted a hard kiss on his lips. "I love you too, Sam." Andy grinned brightly, only once, as Sam just stood there blinking, dumbfounded. Tugging him along behind her, she didn't have to look at him to know he was beaming.

Sam never knew something so simple could feel so amazing. He'd thought about, a lot, much more often than he cared to admit, but hearing her finally voice the words he'd had on his heart was a thing he'd never forget as long as he lived. Still with their hands linked, he eventually caught up to her and they entered the back of the parade room together. Sharing secret smiles, they both were startled when Frank's voice boomed over them.

"Thank God!" They looked up to find the whole station staring at them, before everyone erupted into claps and cat calls.

Andy buried her face in Sam's sleeve, attempting to hide her blush, while Sam scowled at them all for a moment until his smiled seeped through again.

"Alright, alright." Sam waved them away, wrapping his arm around her as he ushered them to the spare table at the back and shot Oliver a warning glare. "Don't you all have work to do?"

Best rolled his eyes before reluctantly continuing, and a few seconds later everyone faced the front again.

Sam gazed at her, completely ignoring the rest of the room, as she ran her fingertips along the chain, tracing the outline of pendant, a lasting smile dancing across her lips.

"Serve, Protect, and no nookie in Interview Room 1." Sam's head shot up and his eyes narrowed as he levelled a glower to the front of the view, but Best had already disappeared through the crowd, escaping before he could face Sam's wrath, but leaving behind a sea of laughter. Shaking his head, he looked across at Andy, who was still fiddling with her necklace, totally oblivious to the cheers around them.

Sensing his eyes on her, Andy peered up at him with an adoring expression on her face, and in that moment, Sam knew he'd follow her anywhere.

…

.

_**FIN**_

_**Finally I've finished! Again, I was hoping to have this up before last night's episode, but the 'no Internet' thing is really starting to annoy me. Please please please REVIEW! I don't mind begging! Completely different storyline to what I originally intended but nothing ever seems to go according to plan. **_

_**Here goes my tribute to the amazing people who've taken the time to review, I swear I can't live without you all: "jimi18; Tiger; sunkiss66; rbfan624; linda p; anu17; Jelly Bean Jenna; JulesNH4; ariel133; Guest; smdaniels20; silvergirl150; swarek24; elizabethb; brithand; No.1 Twifanpire; CM-x-SN-x-HP-x-roxmysox; WenEdg; Misty Glow; jh126; Essehem; katydid13; MEW28; McSwarak-lover656; Mona; edge15684; Caramel Mocha; melbell; Goggiebe; Kaylea; Kelly2727; jenwa85; Hi from JJ; siddy4me; ; ; April420; 1810tammy; Source76; jlamb13; NerdyBunnie; Jaybearxox; tdolphins; abrokencompass; Kate6114; scorpio; deedee920; Freedom-In-Fantasy; Dee678; bebesmom; Jenniroo2187; Powerade; TraciM; Sellons; Wish I was Sam's girl; roseandbears; Zwanet; Roseau76; Carol…"**_

_**Thanks so much for reading. I hope you've enjoyed it, even a little bit. I'm planning another story but it probably won't be up for a couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for it.**_

_**À bientôt!**_

_**Kmart92**_


End file.
